FEAR EFFECT
by Teromad
Summary: The Normandy burned and Shepard died. When Cerberus brought him back he begins to notice a young girl in red following him and strange thing begin to happen. But what does this mean for him and his new mission?
1. Interval 1 Awakening

**This is my first crossover. I hope you like it, please tell me what you think and enjoy.**

**I do not own Mass Effect or F.E.A.R.**

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><p><strong>F.E.A.R E.F.F.E.C.T<strong>

**Interval 1 - Awakening**

The Normandy was burning. Commander John Sheppard's ship crumbled around him. The crew that survived the attack were safely I the escape pods, all except Joker. The door to the CIC opened exposing Shepard to the cold vacuumed of space. The ceiling was torn open and the galaxy map crushed. His deep breaths and the clanging of his magnetic boots were the only sounds.

He soon ran into the cockpit. "Come on, Joker! We have to get out of here!"

"No! I won't abandon the Normandy. I can still save here." Joker replied in determination.

"The Normandy's lost. Going down with the ship won't change that." Shepard reasoned.

"Yeah… okay. Help me up." Joke sighed as he began to get out of the pilots seat. He then noticed the unknown ship. "They're coming around for another attack!"

Shepard rand back to see a beam off yellow energy cutting through the ship's hull. He turned back a pulled Joker out of his seat. "Ah! Watch the arm." Joker asked as Shepard dragged him towards the escape pod. Joker pulled himself in when an explosion knocked Shepard back. "Commander!" Joker cried as Shepard hung on to a nearby wall.

Shepard knew he wouldn't make it to the escape pod. The beam of energy was close to striking it. He smashed the launce button, Joker cried his name as the doors closed and jettisoned the pod. Shepard watched before an explosion blasted him back. He slammed into the opposite wall and drifted off into space.

He watched as the Normandy, his ship burned and finale blew under the power of the energy beam. He is berths became deeper and shallower as his oxygen supply was cut. _No, not like this, not now. _He thought as he desperately tried to seal his suit. _No, must… stop… Reapers… Must tell… her… I… love… _His air ran out. He stopped berthing; he felt the heat from the planet's atmosphere as his world enclosed into a cold darkness.

'_This is not your time.'_

Shepard's eyes opened as he gasped for air. There was none, he couldn't breathe, but he wasn't suffocating. _Where am I? _He thought. A circle of fire burned around him. _Is this the afterlife? No, I can't be in Hell. Can I?_

Shepard started panicking, he didn't deserve this. He was a paragon; yes he had a hard life growing up in the slums of Earth, yes he was in a gang. But he didn't deserve this. Suddenly a bright light hit him. He shielded the light from his eyes and attempted to look at the source. He could make out a human figure in a door of white light. Slowly the burred figure turned into that of a woman.

Whispers echoed around him before a haunting voice came from the door. _'Come here John Shepard. There is much you must know.'_

The flames parted to the door, the female figure held a hand out for him. A wind started to pick up; it didn't blow however, instead he could feel it sucking from behind. Shepard looked back; a large black hole was forming engulfing the flames. _'Hurry John! Come here. It's safe.' _The woman called again; this time however it was in a more desperate and caring tone.

Shepard decided light was better than the slowly rapidly darkness. He pulled himself to his feet and struggled against the vacuumed from behind. Slowly he placed one foot in front of the other. Each step was a struggle but slowly he reached the door. A pail had reached out for him. He hesitated for a moment before grasping it and dragged into the light.

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><p>"There, on the monitor. Something's wrong." A female voice said.<p>

"He's reacting to outside stimuli, showing an awareness of his surroundings." A man replied.

Shepard was confused. He looked up at a ceiling and medical equipment. He remembered the Normandy getting destroyed. Then something happened. He couldn't remember, as if you woke from a dream and couldn't remember the dream.

"Oh my God, Miranda, I think he's waking up." The man said.

Shepard looked around towards a woman in a white and black skin tight suite with long black hair. He turned his head, now above him was a bold headed man.

"Damn it, Wilson! He's not ready yet. Give him the sedative!" The woman he believed was Miranda ordered. Shepard looked back to her. "Shepard, don't try to move." She said. As Shepard raised an arm only for her to force it back down. The room suddenly darkened and grew colder for a moment, no one noticed this though. "Just lie still. Try to stay calm."

"Heart rate still climbing, brain activity is off the charts." Wilson said. Shepard could fell his heart beating faster. It felt good, as if it hadn't beaten for a long time. Miranda moved around him. "Stats pushing into the red zone. It's not working!" Wilson continued in a panicked voice.

"Another dose. Now!" Miranda ordered. Shepard felt the drugs enter him. His heart rate lowered and blackness began to engulf him again.

"Hear rate dropping. Stats falling back into normal range." Wilsons muted voice said. As Miranda looked down on him "That was too close. We almost lost him." Wilsons finished. Shepard believed he could hear a young girl giggling at the comment.

"I told you your estimates were off. Run the numbers again." Miranda said. But before he fell back into sleep another voice, this one was a young girl, whispered to him, _'You will remember soon.'_

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><p>'<em>It's time to wake up John.' <em>A whispered voice called to him. Shepard rocked as a bang echoed through his body.

"Wake up, Commander." Miranda's muted but harsh voice pierced into Shepard head. Nothing like the gentle wispier that woke him. "Shepard, do you hear me? Get out of that bed now. This facility is under attack." Miranda called ageing. Shepard's eyes slowly opened. Another bang and jolt hit the room. "Shepard. Your scars aren't healed, but I need you to get moving. This facility is under attack." Miranda said as Shepard lifted himself up. He could see and hear gunfire and explosions through observation windows above him. "There's a pistol in the locker on the other side of the room. Hurry!"

Shepard dragged himself off the bead and to his feet and stumbling over to the locker. After hurrying to put on his armour he grabbed the pistol. "This pistol doesn't have a thermal clip." He observed.

"It's a med bay. We'll get you a clip form… damn it! The canisters are about to blow. Keep your head down Shepard, Shield yourself from the blast!" Miranda stated as a group of poorly placed explosive canisters spontaneously combusted. The door bowled opened and Shepard ran through, but before he quickly did a double-take of the observation windows, he could have sworn that he saw a girl in a red dress watching him. He turned his attention on to garbing a thermal clip of the bloodied body dead guard. A large pool of his blood flowed across the floor and up the wall. If Shepard wasn't busy he may have noticed the guard had not been shot or died in a blast but instead he was ripped up and his face contort with pain and horror.

Shepard continued through the door and hoped over a barricade. "Look out!" Miranda warned as a mech opened fire from the stairs. Shepard fired on the mech and quickly took it down with a headshot. He looked up at the diamond symbol on the wall, it was familiar somehow, but he couldn't remember where from.

Shepard continued up into the observation room taking out mechs with his pistol and biotics. He continued through a door and witnessed trough windows at the end of the corridor two people shooting at then getting killed by approaching YMIR mech. Shepard continued onwards, due to Miranda's guidance he grabbed a grenade launcher from the dead hands of a surprisingly mutilated corpse and fired at the mechs entering through the opposite doors. He headed down the elevator and sprinted through the flames of a gas leak. Miranda's communications began to break up into static. Her last words he could make out were "I've got mechs closing in on my position."

Shepard opened a door and a sudden loud static filled his comm set as a figure peeking out through an office window quickly ducked behind the wall. Shepard entered the office and to his surprise he only found two mechs crawling along the floor. He looked around in confusion, he knew he saw someone and it wasn't a mech. He quickly dispatched them and hacked a wall safe for some credits. As he turned back round static filled his comms again as he saw a young girl in a red dress quickly run away on the other side of the window.

Shepard ran out to find her, he looked down the corridor and ran in the same direction as her and turned up some steps. "Shepard," someone called, he looked left to see a man gat hit point-blank with a rocket from an YMIR mech before it waked off. Shepard looked around the small room for the girl, fearing for her life. When he was sure she wasn't there he continued through the doors. Gunfire passed him as he turned to help a man take out mechs on the opposite walkway.

"Shepard? What the hell… What are you doing here? I thought you were still a work in progress." He asked.

"I just woke up. You probably know more than I do. Did you see a young girl run through here?" Shepard asked.

"Shepard this is a military station. There're no children here."

"I saw a girl with black hair in a red dress run this way."

"You must be hallucinating Shepard, probably a side effect. I'm Jacob Taylor by the… Damn it" he said as a bullet clipped by his head, he popped over cover and shot a mech in the head.

"Things must be worse than I thought if Miranda's got you running around. I'll fill you in, but we better get you to the shuttle first." Jacob continued.

Shepard then preceded to aske a few quick questions; he was shocked to find out that he'd been dead for two years, and that they somehow brought him back to life.

"Let's get moving. It's your station, Jacob… I'll follow you." Shepard said.

"First step… let's finish off…" Jacobs's voice was drowned out as static filled Shepard's and his comms, followed by silence as the mechs stopped shooting. They both glanced over cover to see the mechs had deactivated. "Well that was easy. Ready to get the hell off this station?"

"What's the quickest way to those shuttles?" Shepard asked.

"Depends where the mechs are thickest. It's probably best if we…" Jacob was cut off as a voice filled their radios.

"Check. Check. Anyone on this frequency? Anybody still alive out there? Hello?" It said.

"Wilson? This is Jacob. I'm with Commander Shepard. Just took out a wave of mechs over in D Wing." Jacob responded.

"Shepard's alive? How the hell… never mind. You need to get him out of here. Get to the service tunnels and head for the network control room."

"Roger that Wilson. Stay on this frequency." Jacob replied.

"Let's got out of here." Shepard said.

"You bet. We can get into the service tunnels through this door." Jacob said. They then passed through the doors and down a corridor. The lights were flickering on and off as they approached the opposite door the lights flicked and Shepard briefly saw in the flash the girl in red walking toward the door.

"Did you see that?" Shepard asked.

"See what?" Jacob replied.

"There was… nothing, like you said I must be hallucinating."

They pass through the door into a service room. Multiple mechs powered up and began to fire. "Damn it, Wilson! This room is crawling with mechs!" Jacob said down his radio whist returning fire.

"The whole st… cra… chs…" Wilson's response descended into static.

"Wilson, you're braking up. Wilson, come in. Can you hear me Wilson?"

"Help! Server Room B! God pleases no… no… arr…" Wilson's frantic, pleading voice echoed through their comms over the sound of gunfire as his scream descended into static.

"Wilson! Damn it. Come on Shepard, this way." Jacob said as that dispatched the last mech and continued through the doors. They turned a corner and ran up a set of stairs. They heard Wilson scream in extreme agony as they approached a locked door.

"He's behind here. Wilson, can you hear me?" Jacob said as he began to hack the door. The light turned green and it opened, Jacob and Shepard gasped in shock at the site before them. Blood covered the room, including the ceiling. In the centre was a blood stained and charred human skeleton.

"Oh my God!" Jacob said as he cautiously approached the bones. Shepard heard the word _'Traitor' _whispered in his ear. He span round, weapon drawn, but found nothing. "It's Wilson. What the hell could have done this?" Jacob said in shock as scanned the remains with his Omni-tool.

"I… don't know, but we have to get of this station, there's nothing we can do for him." Shepard said, but for some reason he thought he did know what did this, but he didn't know at the same time.

"Yeah, you're right Shepard. We need find Miranda. We can't leave her behind, especially if whatever did this is still here." Jacob said.

"I remember a Miranda; she woke me up and warned me about the attack?" Shepard said.

"Was she with you?"

"No, she only spoke over my radio. Then her radio broke up."

"Damn. Let's head to the e-vac point, maybe she's there."

The door at the far end opened and three mechs entered, firing upon Shepard and Jacob. They returned fire and along with Jacobs biotics that made short work of them.

"Ok, we took them down but this is getting tense. Shepard, if I tell you who we work for, will you trust me?" Jacob said.

"Maybe, you not Alliance, who are you working for?" Shepard asked.

"The Lazarus Project, the program that rebuilt you… it's funded and controlled by Cerberus."

Shepard was suddenly struck by a large headache. He clenched his head in pain as someone spoke to him. "Remember John. Kill him, kill them all. They all deserve to die." A man's sinister voice said. Shepard saw a shadow of a man standing behind Jacob.

"No!" A girl's voice cried, the same voice that he had been haring since he had woken up. The man's shadow dissolved into red ash as the girl in the red dress stood there shaking and hugging a doll, and was covered in blood. "Don't listen to him, not all of them deserve to die." She said before disappearing into ash herself.

Shepard stood in shock at what he just saw. "Shepard!" Jacob cried as he grabbed one of his shoulders and stood in front of him. "Shepard, are you ok? What happened there?" he said.

"I… don't know. I just saw… something." Shepard responded trying to figure out what happened. It made no sense; _I must be going insane _he thought. "You said you're working for Cerberus that name sound familiar, I think I ran into Cerberus while I was hunting Saren. I wiped out their projects, back then they were trying to kill me. Why the change of heart?"

"Those answers are above my pay grade. But basically things change. The Alliance declared you dead. They gave up. Cerberus spent a fortune to bring you back. Look, I'd be suspicious too. But right now, we have to work together. I thought you deserve to know what's what." Jacob answered.

"Fine, let's get going." Shepard said as they turned to the door.

They soon entered a large storage room. On the far side Shepard could see shuttles. More mechs activated as they entered. Shepard and Jacob unleashed there weapons and Jacobs biotics on them. When the last mech had fallen Jacob led Shepard to a door to the right of the room.

"The e-vac point is this way." Jacob said as he opened the door. On the other side stood a woman waiting, Shepard remembered her, Miranda.

"As, Jacob I'm glad you got Shepard here safely. Did you run into Wilson on your way here?"

"Yes, but something happened to him. He tried to help us but then started panicking and begged for help… when we found him… there wasn't much left." Jacob answered.

"Odd, he was the traitor so why would the mechs get him." Miranda answered.

"He was the traitor?" Jacob asked as Miranda nodded. "I don't think it was mechs that got him, Miranda. He'd been melted or something. His blood was everywhere; all that was left were bones."

"I… see." Miranda said as she eyed Shepard. "It's good to see that your awake, Shepard. Are you ok?"

"I've been dead for two years and woken in a base under attack owned by terrorists, and on top of that people have been malting and I keep sing things. How do you think I feel?" Shepard said.

A brief expression of worry and panic shot across Miranda's face. "What kind of things have you been seeing?" she asked. Jacob could tell something was bothering her.

"It's noting, just hallu…"

"Answer me Shepard! What did you see?" Miranda shot out.

"A girl in a red dress, she's about eight years old and has long black hair. I keep seeing her everywhere, it's like she's following me and she speaks to me." Miranda face paled.

"R-right, let's get out of here." She said.

"What about over survivors?" Shepard asked.

"This is the e-vac aria. If they're not her now, they're not coming. Now let's go."

"Miranda what's got into you, I've never seen you act like this." Jacob asked.

"It's noting, Jacob. Our boss want's to speak with Shepard." Miranda answered. They then went on to argue about Cerberus. Shepard hated the idea of working for them but gave up the argument as it was the only way off the base. They were all relived to be out of there, Miranda more so then the others. Shepard was still confused about what he saw. Was he really just hallucinating? It seemed too real, and what killed Wilson?

They were heading to another Cerberus station to see the boss; the Illusive Man. Miranda went over Shepard's past history how he was an orphan on Earth, his heroics on Elysium, his time stopping Saren and saving the council, choosing Anderson as the human councillor. That was when it finally sank in for Shepard. He'd died, and now Cerberus had resurrected him. It's been two years; his friends Ashley, Liara, Wrex, Garrus and Tali al believe he's dead. How would they react? Would they recognise him? Was he still himself? But most impotently would they forgive him?


	2. Interval 2 Reunions

**Thanks for the reviews. Here's a new chapter, I hope is as good as the last.**

**And remember to leave your reviews.**

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><p><strong>Interval 2 – Reunions<strong>

"That is unfortunate Miranda." The Illusive Man said as he took a puff of his cigarette. "I'll see that we take proper measures to fix the problem."

"It's his focus I'm worried about. If he believes he's going insane or these visions distract him…" Miranda said before the Illusive Man interrupted.

"Then make sure they don't. I'll do what I have to do, you do your Job. Now send Shepard down."

"Yes sir." She said and left the holographic pad and moved up the stairs. Shepard was sitting in deep thought looking out into space. She couldn't blame him; it's not every day you wake up after being dead for two years. "Shepard, the Illusive Man will see you now."

"Thanks Miranda." He said and left down the stairs Miranda came from. He entered the holographic projector and looked around as his vision changed to a large office with a sun close behind. The Illusive Man sat in a chair in the centre.

"Commander Shepard." He acknowledged.

"Illusive Man. I thought we'd be meting face-to-face." Shepard said.

'_Some do deserve to die.' _A voice suddenly whispered. Shepard recognised it as the same one from the girl on Lazarus station. He also saw her standing behind the Illusive Man pointing at him before turning to ash. Shepard blinked and shook his head in disbelief. _I must be going insane. _He thought.

"A necessary precaution. Not unusual for people who know what you and I know." The Illusive Man said.

"You might be the reason I'm still alive, but that doesn't mean I trust you." Shepard said.

"You need to put your personal feelings aside. Humanity is up against the greatest threat of our brief existence." The Illusive Man said.

"The Reapers." Shepard answered.

"Good to see your memories are still intact," The Illusive Man_. _"How are you feeling?"

"You need to earn the right to ask me those kinds of questions. But if you must know I've just discovered I'm an undead cyborg who's missed two years off his life and is in the hands of terrorists. Also I'm seeing a little girl who keeps appearing in random places and speaks to me. Besides that I'm fine." Shepard said in a sarcastic matter-of-fact tone. The Illusive Man flinched when he mentioned the girl.

"This is no time to make jokes, Shepard. Cerberus isn't as evil as you believe. You and I are on the same side; we just have different methods." The Illusive Man lied.

"Cut to the chase. What are the Reapers doing that made you decide to bring me back?" Shepard asked.

The Illusive Man stood. "We're at war." He said "No one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack. While you've been sleeping, entire colonies have been disappearing. Human colonies. We believe someone is working for the Reapers. Just like Saren and the geth aided Sovereign. You've seen it yourself. You bested all of them. That's just one of many reasons we chose you."

"You could have trained an entire army for what you spent to bring me back." Shepard said.

"You're unique, very unique. You're ability's surpass anyone else, also your experiences. But on top of that is what you represent. You stood at a key moment. You're more than a prot… soldier… you're a symbol. And I don't know if the Reapers understand fear, but you killed one. They have to respect that." The Illusive Man answered. Shepard could tell he was trying to hide something.

'_Remember!' _A sinister man's voice whispered to him. The same as the shadow's after Wilson's death. He looked to his right and as he suspected saw nothing. Shepard ignored it and continued to question the Illusive Man's motives.

"If what you say is true… if the Reapers are behind this… I'd consider helping you."

The Illusive Man gave a smug smile. "I'd be disappointed if you accepted any of this without seeing for yourself. I have a shuttle ready to take you to Freedom's Progress the latest colony to be abducted."

"Is this a volunteer job, or am I being volunteered?" Shepard asked.

"You always have a choice Shepard. If you don't find the evidence we're both looking for, we can part ways. But first go to Freedom's Progress. Find any clues you can. Who's abducting the colonies? Do they have any connection to the Reapers? I brought you back. It's up to you to do the rest." The Illusive Man finished and closed the comm link.

Shepard found himself back on the Cerberus station, he turned and left.

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><p>The shuttle touched down on Freedom's Progress. Shepard, Jacob and Miranda stepped out. '<em>Almost as cold as Noveria.' <em>Shepard thought. "Miranda, Jacob, doesn't Cerberuses provide you with more protective uniforms?"

"L-let's just go Sh-Shepard." Miranda shivered.

They approached the first building and entered. It was pitch black inside, the lights flicked on when the group entered. In a flicker Shepard saw the girl in the red dress by the door at the far end. _'Note to self, see a physiatrist.' _He thought.

"It looks like everyone just got up and left right in the middle of dinner." Jacob said.

The group continued out the outer side of the building and stepped onto a balcony and walked down to the ground. "Strange, no bodies, not structural damming, no singes of battle." Miranda observed as they approached a large door in a rock face.

When it opened two mechs on an opposite platform activated and opened fire on the team. "Strange. Security systems were disabled at the other colonies." Miranda said as they took cover. They took out the opposite ones when then they were flanked from the building on the right. A short will later the mechs were taken down.

"Those mechs shouldn't have been hostile. They should have recognized us as human." Jacob said.

"Someone's reprogramed them to attack on sight. We're not alone here." Miranda responded.

Shepard entered a housing unit and after searching and 'requisitioning' some credits and medi-gel they turned and stepped outside. A LOKI and a FENRIS mech attacked from the steps of another structure. They quickly met a similar fate as the others.

Shepard approached the door and it opened to revile a darkened corridor. Shepard turned to find Jacob and Miranda only to meet a metal wall where the door was. Shepard was shocked. _'What the hell! No way is this just a hallucination.' _He thought as he began to walk down the corridor. "Jacob, Miranda, can you her me?" He said down his comms only to receive nothing, not even static. In the shadows he saw what appeared to be a body. Slowly he approached and to his shock found it to be a geth.

"Where am I?" He asked out loud. He continued down the hall and came across many more bodies of geth and quarians. What shocked him the most was when he found a window, he looked out upon a huge armada of ships of all types and sizes. He only knew of one fleet like this. "The Quarian Migrant Fleet?" He asked in disbelief.

He jumped when he heard a woman scream "Farther!" He approached a door where the shout came from. On the other side he could hear a woman crying. The door slid open to revile a dark expanse in the centre there was a shaft of light illuminating a purple suited quarian woman crying over the lifeless body of a red suited quarian man. He recognised this quarian; her voice and suit patterns were familiar. "Tali?" He whispered only to be met with a blinding white light.

He found himself standing back on Freedom's Progress with Jacob and Miranda behind him. In the room a squad of quarians shot up with the weapons primed. "Stop right there!" A grey suited quarian ordered.

"Prazza! You said you'd let me handle this." Said a purple suited quarian, the same as the one just saw, Tali. Tali moved between Prazza and Shepard. "Wait… Shepard?" She asked in shock and disbelief.

"I'm not taking any chances with Cerberus operatives." Prazza said.

"Put those weapons down." Tali ordered before turning back to Shepard. "Shepard? Is that… you're alive?" She asked.

Shepard couldn't believe it. Tali was here. "Remember when I gave you that geth data, Tali? Did it help you complete your Pilgrimage?" He said. Still worried about that vision he just had, so many questions were running through his head. But first he had to convince Tali it was him. Get her to trust him again.

"Yes, it did. Prazza, weapons down. This is definitely Commander Shepard." Tali said.

"Why is your old Commander working for Cerberus?" Prazza asked as he and the others lowered their weapons.

"I don't know. Maybe we should ask." Tali said.

"I nearly died, Tali… I did die… I don't know how but Cerberus spent two years rebuilding me. Now they want me to investigate attacks on human colonies." Shepard said.

"Likely story. No organization would commit so many resources to bring back one soldier." Prazza said in scepticism.

"You haven't seen Shepard in action, Prazza. Trust me, it was money well spent." Tali responded. Shepard smiled and was joyful that Tali still believed him. He never got a chance on the Normandy to tell her what she meant to him. "Perhaps we can work together. We're here looking for a young quarian named Veetor. He was here on Pilgrimage." She said.

"Isn't that a little strange? A quarian visiting a remote human colony?" Shepard asked.

"Quarians can choose where they go o Pilgrimage. Veetor liked the idea of helping a small settlement. He was always… nervous in crowds." Tali said.

Prazza then went on to say Veetor's unstable and delirious. Tali continued to say where he's hiding and that he reprogramed the mechs to attack anything on sight. Shepard was also shocked to find that Cerberus attacked the Migrant Fleet. He also was angry at Miranda for defending Cerberuses actions. _'Kill her, kill them all.' _A man's voice whispered to him but Shepard shook the thought off. Soon after Shepard and Tali agreed to work together to find Veetor and they parted ways in search of him.

As they left the building Tali warned them of drones up ahead. True to her word Assault Drones engaged Shepard and his team. They had successfully fended of the drones when Tali came over the radio again. "Shepard! Prazza and his squad rushed on ahead. I told them to wait, but they wouldn't listen. They want to find Veetor and take him away before you get here!"

"We should have expected this." Miranda said.

"Come on! We can still catch them." Jacob responded.

They continued through multiple housing units and down to the ground. More Assault Drones engaged them as they took cover. Miranda sent out multiple overloads whilst Shepard and Jacob fired their weapons and the drones. They flew around dogging there attacks but eventually the last drone fell.

"Hurry, Shepard! We're inside the loading docks." Tali called over the radio. "Veetor reprogramed a heavy mech! It's tearing Prazza's Squad apart!" She said in a panicked voice.

"They did want to get to Veetor first." Miranda commented.

"Get you squad into cover and I'll open the loading bay doors." Tali said.

"We'll take cover by the doors. Shepard, you take point." Miranda said.

They approached the large door in the rock face. Miranda and Jacob took cover on ever side as Shepard took point, crouching down behind a concert barricade. Tali opened the doors, as the Point Man, Shepard entered first closely followed by Jacob and Miranda, they were just in time to see a YIMAR mech engage Prazzas squad. Shepard watched in horror as the quarians were gunned down. He flinched when he witnessed one quarian woman get crushed below the mechs leg and shot several times in the head. What made it worse was that he heard disembodied menacing laughter at the sight. The mech fired a missile and machine-gunned the remaining quarians. Shepard was relieved to see Tali had gotten to safety inside a nearby building.

"That mech's got heavy armour plating. Those quarians never stood a chance." Jacob said.

"This is going to be one tough son-of-a-bitch to take down." Miranda commented.

"Miranda, Overload its shields and move that building. Jacob use your Incendiary Ammo." Shepard ordered. As he opened fire on the mechs shields with his assault rifle using Disruptor Ammo. It was a long and tough fight but eventually the mech fell to Shepard's, Miranda's and Jacobs's combined fire power.

"Is everyone ok?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jacob said.

"So am I, come on lets go get Veetor." Miranda said.

"Let's check on the quarians first." Shepard said and headed into a building. Inside were four quarians including Tali. "Tali, are you ok, do you need any help?"

"Yes, I'm ok Shepard, and everything under control. Please go and get Veetor, I'll catch up in a bit." Tali said as she patched up a wounded quarians suit. Shepard nodded and turned to find Veetor. "Oh, Shepard." Tali called.

"Yes Tali."

"Thank you for saving us… and me again."

"I'm always happy to help, Tali." He said and left.

The door opened to revile a room bathed in an orange glow from the consoles and screens. A lone quarian sat typing away and muttering to himself. "Monsters coming back. Mechs will protect. Safe from swarms. Have to hide. No monsters. No swarms. No, no, no…"

"Veetor?" Shepard asked.

"No Veetor. Not here. Swarms can't find. Monsters coming. Have to hide." Veetor responded and continued not fixed on the screen as if Shepard and his team weren't there.

"Nobody's going to hurt you anymore." Shepard said but Veetor didn't respond.

"I don't think he can hear you, Commander." Jacob said. Shepard bought up his omni-tool and after a few commands he waved it over the screens which locked down.

Veetor sat back and looked in wonder at the flashing screens. He then noticed the humans and stood up. "You're human. Where did you hide? How come they didn't find you?" He asked.

"Who didn't find us?" Miranda asked.

"The… the monsters. The swarms. They took everyone." Veetor said.

"Why didn't the colonists fight back, Veetor? What happened?"

"You don't know. You didn't see. But I see everything." Veetor said and typed away at the consol.

The screens changed to security footage of the colony. Large bugs flew across the screen, as insect like aliens transported organic containers.

"Looks like security footage. He must've pieced it together manually." Miranda said.

"What the hell is that?" Jacob asked.

Veetor froze the screen as Miranda got a close look at one of the Aliens. "My God. I think it's a Collector."

Shepard recognized the name. They are an apparently mythical species from beyond the Omega 4 Relay that trade technology for unique subjects of species. "I thought the Collectors kept to themselves." He said.

"They usually work through like slavers or hired mercenaries. If they are involved with the Reapers somehow, it could explain what happened to the colonies." Miranda said.

"There technology is advanced. They could have a weapon that disables an entire settlement at once." Jacob suggested.

"The seeker swarms. No one can hide. The seekers find you. Freeze you. Then the monsters take you away." Veetor said.

Why didn't the Collectors take you?" Shepard asked.

"She hid me." Veetor said.

"Who hid you?" Miranda asked.

"The little girl. When the swarms came she took me here. Told me it was safe from the monsters."

"What happened to her?" Shepard asked.

"She was here. She didn't leave. Monsters didn't find us." Veetor said as he looked around for her. The room was empty apart from them. "She told me to fix video for others. Where is she?"

"What did she look like?" Jacob asked.

"Her hair was black. She had yellow eyes. And she wore a red dress."

Shepard's eyes widened as Miranda and Jacob looked between him and Veetor in shock. _'No it's impossible. It can't be the same girl. WHAT'S GOING ON?' _He thought. Shepard was more confused and unnerved then he has ever been.

"Shepard didn't you say that you saw a girl like that on Lazarus station?" Jacob asked.

"Y-yes I did. It can't be the same, it's impossible. It must be a coincidence, a very big coincidence." Shepard said still in shock. "Did she have a name?"

"She didn't tell me. She said it was dangerous."

"Why can nothing be easy?" Shepard muttered.

"We haven't seen her Veetor. I'm sorry, we'll tell the Alliance and they'll look for her." Miranda said. Shepard shook of his shock; he still had a job to do. He continued to ask questions about what Veetor saw.

"We appreciate what you told us. You were very helpful… mostly" Shepard whispered the last part.

"She told me to study them. The monsters. The swarms. I recorded them with my omni-tool. Lots of readings. Electro-magnetic. Dark-energy." Veetor said whilst he viewed the data on his omni-tool.

"We need to get this data to the Illusive Man. Grab the quarian and call the shuttle to come pick us up." Miranda said.

"What?" Tali said as she entered. "Veetor is injured! He needs treatment, not an interrogation!"

"We won't hurt him. We just need to see if he knows anything else. He'll be returned unharmed." Jacob tried to reassure.

"Your people tried to betray us once already. If we give him to you, we'll never get the intel we need." Miranda said.

"Prazza was an idiot, and he and his men paid for it. You're welcome to take Veetor's omni-tool data, but please. Just let me take him." Tali said.

"You don't have to take Veetor and go. We could work together. Just like old times." Shepard suggested.

"I want to, but I can't, I've got a mission of my own. It's too important for me to abandon, even for you. When it's over, and I'm still alive, we'll see what happens." She said.

"That sounds dangerous. What are you doing?"

"I don't think Cerberus needs to hear about it. But it's in geth space. That should tell you how important it is."

"Of course Tali, if you need any help, give me a call." Shepard said and Tali nodded, he then turned to Miranda and Jacob. "Veetors traumatized, and he needs medical care. Tali will give us the omni-tool data and take him to the flotilla."

"Understood, Commander." Miranda responded.

"Thank you Shepard. I'm glad you're still the one giving the orders." Tali responded.

Shepard then herd menacing lathered. He tried to move but couldn't. Everything seemed to have frozen. "It's all about the pretty girl, isn't it Shepard." A man's voice said. The same as the one after Wilson's death. A man appeared behind Tali, his face looked similar to Shepard's only clean shaven and his mid-length hair was combed back. The most shocking feature was a bullet hole in his forehead.

Shepard tried to speak but couldn't. "Don't bother trying to speak, Shepard." He said and moved to stroke Tali's veil. "You should forget about her, you don't want something bad to happen do you?" He asked with a sinister smile.

Shepard attempted to fight against him and his threats, but it proved useless. "Stop!" A woman's voice suddenly demanded. Shepard couldn't see who it was but the man behind Tali looked over her shoulder to Shepard's side.

"Oh come on mother, can't I have a little fun?" He said.

"Leave them alone, you know what's at stake." The woman said.

"Of course I do. You know what, why don't I just te…" The man started to say before he disappeared into a cloud of ash.

"I'm sorry John, ignore him. I can't always control him; he's insane but not stupid. I know you're confused, but you're not going crazy. I want to tell you what's happening but it's not safe. You must find out on your own." The woman said still out of Shepard's view. Then the girl in the red dress walked from his side to stand in front of him. "I'll help you when I can." She smiled and turned to ash herself.

"Good luck out there." Tali continued to speak as if nothing happened. As far as the others were concerned nothing did happen. "If I find anything that can help you, I'll let you know."

Shepard was still in shock about what just happened. He didn't notice Jacob calling for a pick up or Veetor transferring his data to Miranda with Tali's help. It wasn't until Tali stepped back into his view that he snapped out of his thoughtful trance. "So… it was good to see you again Shepard, I still can't believe your relay back." She said.

"I can't believe it myself. It was good to see you again too, Tali. I guess I'll see you some over time then."

"Yes, goodbye Shepard. I wish you luck on you mission."

XXXXXXXX

"This is disturbing News Miranda." The Illusive Man said as he received Freedom's progress' report from Miranda. "If it relay is what we think this could be very dangerous indeed."

"What shall we do?" Miranda asked.

"I've ordered the ships defences increased. Also I've sent extra teams to ground zero to attempt to contain the problem. I've also gave EDI a clear set of Instructions on what to do if she even detects anything what could be related. Your job Miranda is to make sure he doesn't remember anything."

"Of course sir, I'll see right to it." Miranda responded.

"You better do so. If Shepard even begins to remember then we could lose everything, and I've spent far too much for then. I'd hate to have a repeat of that incident."

* * *

><p>Shepard proudly strolled onto his ship. The Normandy SR-2 looked beautiful and was impressive. Even better was that Joker was the helmsman. It was good to have a familiar face. The inside was even more impressive. "Welcome aboard the new Normandy, Commander." Jacob said as Shepard approached the holo projector with a hologram of the Normandy proudly glowing.<p>

"I've been looking over the dossiers. I'd strongly recommend starting by acquiring Mordin Solus, the Salarian professor on Omega." Miranda suggested. "We know the Collectors use some type of advanced technology to immobilize their victims. We'll need him to develop a countermeasure to protect us."

"Without that countermeasure, we'll be helpless if we ever run into the Collectors." Shepard agreed.

"Acquiring Professor Solus seems like the most logical place to start." An electronic voice said making Shepard jump. Ever since he'd woken up yesterday morning he's been jumpy and people sneaking up on him and unexpected noises.

"Who's there?" He said.

"I am the Normandy's artificial intelligence. The crew like to refer to me as EDI." It said as a blue holographic ball appeared behind Shepard. To his relief this was real.

Later that day Shepard had set a course for Omega and moved around the ship getting to know the crew. He was glad to find the ships Yeoman Kelly Chambers was also the ships physiologist. He was sure he'll need her with everything that's been going on. He stepped into the med-bay and to his surprise saw a familiar face at the desk.

"Commander Shepard. I watched the Normandy crumble with you on board. It's good to see you alive." Doctor Chakwas said as she turned to face him.

After greeting her and asking about her affiliation with Cerberus Shepard asked a question he was waiting for all day. "Doctor, could you possibly give me a brain scan or something?"

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I've been seeing things lately, and hearing things. Things that don't exist."

Chakwas hummed in thought. "Alright Commander, if you would please lie on the bed here." She said gesturing to a bed. Shepard complied. Chakwas scanned Shepard with multiple pieces of equipment. "Interesting." She eventually said.

"What's wrong doctor?" Shepard asked.

"Nothing's wrong. Miranda really did a good job putting you back together. I suggest you see Yeoman Chambers."

* * *

><p>"…and now I'm here." Commander Shepard finished. He was lying on his couch in his cabin. He'd just told Kelly about all his visions. To say she was speechless was an understatement.<p>

Miranda had watched this over the surveillance bugs she'd placed in the cabin. What she had heard surprised and worried her. She never fully understood he berthing the Illusive Man had given her. She didn't believe it until she saw the evidence. She had to stop this. She pulled a vile of a blue liquid form a secret draw in her desk. All she had to do was what until Shepard came to eat.

It was now late on the Normandy. Shepard was feeling slightly better after Kelly's counselling, though it didn't help much. Most of the crew were in the mess receiving the food when Shepard entered. "Commander, I've got a meal for you." Miranda said as she handed him a meal.

"Thank you Miranda." Shepard said and took a seat with the meal. Miranda watched with a smug smile, but inside she thought that what she was doing was wrong. She only hoped it removed the correct memories. "What the hell!" Shepard suddenly screamed as a commotion broke out amongst the crew in the mess. Miranda looked in shock as Shepard's meal had burst into flames. When the fire died out leaving only a melted tray the room stood in a stunned silence. The crew suddenly decided that they weren't hungry and left.

"Ah, God damn it." Gardiner shouted form the kitchen as he threw his ladle into a pot. Shepard slowly stood up and turned to Miranda with an equally shocked face.

"I think I'll get my food next time." He said. Miranda could only nod and began to walk to her room only to stop when she felt someone slap her on the back of the head. She turned in anger only to find nothing. Miranda paled and sprinted to her room locking the door behind her.


	3. Interval 3 Omega

Thank you so much for all your reviews and support.

I never intended to publish this fic, I was just bored with writers block form my others and now it's my most popular story.

Here's chapter three for you to enjoy. Please continue to review.

* * *

><p><strong>Interval 3 – Omega<strong>

Shepard stumbled down a ruined street, bodies of men, women and children laid everyway. He was exhausted; he'd just single-handedly repelled a batarian attack. Everyone said he was a hero, that he saved Elysium. He didn't feel like one.

Alliance soldiers were helping the wounded, rescuing people from the rubble and covering the bodies. He was on shore leave when the attack came. He watched people die all around him. Thousands taken by slavers, yet somehow he survived. He didn't know why. "Shepard!" An officer called. "Shepard, over here."

"Yes sir." Shepard said with a salute. He Alliance officer chuckled.

"I should be the one saluting you. You saved us all after all, damn impressive work. But if you don't mind I'd like to ask for your assistance searching for survivors."

"Of course I'll help, Sir. What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to search the top five floors of this building here." The officer said gesturing to a damaged apartment building.

The first three floors were empty apart from the bodies of civilians and the odd batarian. There were signs of struggle, fighting and fleeing everywhere. Shepard was discussed, horrified; he wanted to kill every barbarian for what they had done.

It was on the fourth floor that when Shepard heard something. The sound of a child sobbing echoed down the halls and sent shivers up his back. Cautiously he approached the room and the door slid open. Inside was dark. A small beam of light came through a broken window illuminating a young girl huddled in a corner crying.

"Hay, it's ok." Shepard said as he slowly approached.

The girl's head snapped up and looked at him through tear drenched eyes. Her long black hair covered her blood stained face, she wore a red dress and was bare foot. "It's ok, I won't hurt you." Shepard said to reassure her. The girl nodded and threw herself into Shepard's arms and continued to weep into his shoulder. "It's ok your safe now." Shepard said as he patted her back.

"Th-th… they took them. Then one came back… to save me and… and… they killed him." The girl sobbed.

"It's ok; no one will hurt you anymore." Shepard said reassuringly.

"I know. Please get them for me. Kill them all." She said.

Shepard didn't know how to respond, this girl just asked him to kill every batarian. "I'll stop them." He said, wishing that it was the right response.

"Kill them. Kill all those who deserve to die, and rescue me. You always were my favourite, and now my only hope, John." She said with her tears gone and she now had a smile that was both sinister and loving on her face. Shepard was about to ask what she meant and how she knew his name when a sudden wave of exhaustion came over him and he collapsed to the floor asleep.

Shepard's eyes shot open, he was relieved to find he was in his bed on the Normandy. _'It was just a dream.' _He thought. _'Wait, no it wasn't just a dream, was it? No… I remember it, it happened. Why did I forget it?'_

"Because they wanted you to forget." A voice said Shepard instantly recognized it. His arm shot out for his pistol and switched the lights on. In his cabin stood a man in a black and red leather jacket, the same man that he saw behind Tali on Freedom's Progress.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" Shepard demanded.

The man let out a chuckle. "You honestly don't remember do you? Well, I wouldn't be surprised considering the amount of drugs and mind-wiping they gave you after… my little incident."

"You have five seconds to explain yourself before I put another hole in your head." Shepard threatened.

The man let out another sinister chuckle. Shepard could feel the evil rolling off this man. "That would be… entertaining. Very well Shepard, I'm sure my name won't hurt. I'm Paxton, Paxton Fettel."

Shepard thought, he recognised that name, he didn't know where from. "Why are you here?" He asked.

"A war is coming. I've seen it in my dreams. Fire sweeping over the galaxy, bodies in the streets, cities turned to dust… Retaliation. And you John Shepard are the only one who can stop it." Fettel said.

"You're talking about the Reapers." Shepard said.

"Maybe Shepard. But there is far much more to it than that." He chuckled. "She want's your help, and she will get what she wants." Fettel said before disappearing into ash.

Shepard didn't know what to do. Was he asleep, was he awake? Was he sane or insane? Who was this Paxton Fettel? What did he mean? Who was that girl in the red dress? _'What is going on?' _His mind screamed.

* * *

><p>Miranda slowly awoke. For some reason here face was wet, she felt another drip of something land on her forehead. She reached over and switched the lights on and brought a hand to her face to wipe away the wetness. She looked to see what she had wiped off. Her breath caught in her through as her hand was smeared with blood.<p>

Another drop landed on her head, she saw more drops land over her bead. Slowly she raised her head. The celling was covered in blood. Fresh blood that painted the words "Be good or else" in large smeared letters.

Miranda screamed. "EDI!" She cried as she stumbled to her desk, not taking her eyes off the warning.

"Yes, Operative Lawson." EDIs monotone voice asked.

"Who did that?" Miranda shouted as she pointed at the blood and trembled in fear.

"Operative Lawson, I do not understand your question."

"There, the blood!" She said gesturing for EDI. She turned back to face the blood to her surprise it was gone. "I-It was right there."

"Operative Lawson there was no blood on your celling." EDI stated. Miranda looked back at her hands and found them to be clean. "However Operative Lawson I did detect an electromagnetic frequency increase of three hundred per-cent in your cabin and an increase of seven hundred per-cent in the Commanders cabin."

"It was in Shepard's cabin!" Miranda screeched in panic as she grabbed a pistol and ran to the elevator.

* * *

><p>Shepard was sitting at his private terminal. He hadn't had any sleep since Fettel appeared in his room. His mind was still racing with unanswered questions. He opened the extranet and searched for 'Paxton Fettel'. Of the few results that came up one result stood out more than the others. Illium Police Department's wanted list. The picture was of the same man Shepard saw only without the bullet hole, he's been wanted since November 12th 2175 for theft, multiple accounts of first degree murder, kidnaping and to Shepard's shock the torture and cannibalism of a human scientist Charles Habegger.<p>

The door opened. Someone ran in. Shepard lunged for his pistol and turned to face the intruder. "Shepard!" To Shepard surprise, there stood Miranda pointing a pistol around the room and wearing only her underwear and a loose t-shirt.

"Miranda! What are you doing here?" Shepard said whilst lowering his pistol at the same time as her.

"I-I thought you… Nether mind, I'll just be going." She said in relief and embarrassment.

"Miranda wait, you know something, don't you?" Shepard asked.

"I… I don't know..."

"You saw him didn't you, that's why you're here."

"I have no idea…"

"Don't lie to me Miranda. What's going on here?"

"I don't know what's going on Shepard. All I know is that it's dangerous and the Illusive Man won't say anything else. Wait, did you say him? I thought it was supposed to be a young girl?"

"There is, but a man also appears. Him." Shepard said gesturing to his terminal.

"The Illusive Man never told me about him. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I saw him on Lazarus station, Freedom's Progress and just now, here. He said his names…"

"Paxton Fettel." Miranda and Shepard span in horror to see the young girl in red. Miranda screamed and began firing her pistol only for the rounds to stop before her.

"Miranda, wait!" Shepard said grabbing her gun and turned to face the girl. She stood with a frown and the bullets dropped to the floor. "Who are you?" Shepard asked.

The girl smiled to Shepard, "A friend." She whispered before turning to ash.

Miranda and Shepard turned to look at each over still in shock. "We need to have a chat with your boss." Shepard said after a moment of silence.

"No, we can't… He's ordered me to make sure that you don't ever remember seeing her. He knew that this might happen, I don't know how but he warned me about it. He gave me special drugs specifically for you to suppress memories of her, or something like that."

"Are you saying he ordered you to drug me?"

Miranda stood confused; she was loyal to Cerberus and would follow the Illusive Mans orders however if he can't solve the root of this problem then It may be worse for Shepard to forget. "Yes… in the mess hall yesterday, the food I gave you was drugged."

"It's a good thing it busts to flames then, luckily before I ate it."

"It wasn't designed to burst into flames. I don't know why that happened."

"_It was me."_ The girl's voice giggled as a tray of smashed vials and blue liquid clattered to the floor. Miranda and Shepard looked around for the source of the voice only not to see anyone.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Shepard asked only to not receive an answer. He bent down to the tray and picked up a smashed vile and read the label. "P-1 Memory Suppressor. Caution: Use only on Commander Shepard."

"How did they get here? They were locked in my desk!" Miranda said.

"I don't know. But whatever is happening here, your boss really doesn't want me to know."

"Shepard… I'm sorry about attempting to wipe your memory, I was just following orders. But the Illusive Man's also ordered me to make sure you were focus on this mission, and if you were to freak out every time you see that girl then I think it's best if I don't wipe your memory." Miranda said.

"Thanks, I'll appreciate that." Shepard sarcastically responded. "But I will get to the bottom of this Miranda, as well as save those colonists." Shepard said as he handed back the tray.

"I'm also curious Shepard; I never would have believed that anything like this would happen. I just hope the Illusive Man isn't too pissed about it."

"Then don't tell him."

"If I don't, EDI will."

"EDI, are you keeping the Illusive Man informed about these disturbances?" Shepard asked.

"I do not understand your question, commander." EDI responded.

"That girl and this Paxton Fettel that keep appearing all over the place, do you know anything about them?" Shepard asked.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that Commander." EDI said.

"Why not?" Miranda asked.

"I do not know, I may or may not have blocks preventing me from answering all enquiries into whether a 'Paxton Fettel' or 'girl in red dress' do or do not exist."

"I didn't say anything about a red dress." Shepard said in suspicion.

EDI didn't answer for a few seconds until she said "Logging you out Commander." And her hologram blinked out of existence. To Shepard it sounded like she was somehow panicking.

"That was… odd." Shepard said.

"Yes, it was." Miranda said.

"I think that's enough bizarre hocus-pocus stuff for a day, and it's only six in the morning. Miranda, I suggest you get back to your room before any of the crew sees you like that, you're lucky Joker's always in his seat." Shepard said.

Miranda suddenly realised the clothes, or lack of them, she was wearing. She blushed with embarrassment. "Yeah your right, I'll… be going now." She said and speedily left.

"You betrayed me!" Miranda screamed. Shepard spun round to see the lower portion of his cabin replaced with a large expanse of darkness, illuminated in the centre was Miranda pointing a gun at a man he had never seen.

"You never told me you kidnaped a baby!" The man shouted back.

"I rescued here!" Miranda exclaimed.

"To get back at your father!"

"No! I rescued her. And now you're the only lose end, I'm so sorry It has to be this way, I'll miss you." Miranda said and pulled the trigger. The man's head blew out and he fell back in seemingly slow motion. His skin peeled away and his insides tuned to dust leaving only blackened bones to clatter to the floor. In the man's place now stood the girl in red looking up at Miranda with smile that was both forgiving and sinister. The seen then exploded in white light leaving Shepard standing alone in his cabin.

* * *

><p>It's been two hours since the events in Shepard's cabin, and if anything he was left with more questions. The only thing he knows is he's not insane and that the Illusive Man has answers that he doesn't want Shepard to know, <em>'Another reason not to trust him.' <em>Shepard thought.

The Normandy had docked on Omega. Shepard's first task was to recruit Professor Mordin Solus. A salarian scientist that the Illusive Man believes will be able to come up with a countermeasure to the collectors' seeker swarms. As Shepard stepped out of the elevator Kelly called him over. "Commander, I've been thinking over what you told me last night…"

"No, I'm ok now Kelly. I had a very interesting conversation with Miranda. It turns out I'm not insane and…" Shepard trailed off as Fettel append behind Kelly.

"Command?" Kelly asked. Fettle gave a menacing smile as he placed a hand on Kelly's shoulder. To Shepard horror Kelly began to burn and melt in front of him.

"No!" Shepard cried as he grabbed her and pulled her away from Fettel, he drew his pistol and pointed to where Fettel was only to see noting.

"Commander!" Kelly cried. Shepard turned back to her to see she was back to normal with a look of surprise and confusion. "What's wrong, why did you do that?"

"I… It… err… Sorry Kelly, I… I have to go." Shepard stumbled out as he put away his pistol, trying to ignore the odd looks coming from the crew.

"Well ok then. If you want anything, I'm always here Commander." She said and turned back to her console. Shepard continued up the CIC towards the cockpit. Miranda and Jacob were waiting for him; Miranda had a worried look whilst Jacob had a questioning look.

Shepard blinked. When his eyes opened he stumbled in shock. He wasn't on the Normandy anymore. He was in a cave overlooking a tropical beach on some distant planet. Shepard was speechless as he cautiously walked towards the beach with his gun at the ready. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It must be a vision like on Freedoms Progress but it felt so real, he could feel the cool ocean breeze and the sun sinning on his face.

He noticed footprints in the wet sand, a Child's footprints. They headed across the beach and into another cave where in the dark he could see a child watching him. He knew it was the girl in red. Shepard started to follow the footprints when the bushes next to him rustled. He turned and aimed his gun into the thick undergrowth. He couldn't see anting so he continued to follow the tracks. The girl was still watching him from the darkness of the cave.

More rustling from the bushes, again Shepard turned to see nothing. His hart was pounding, something was wrong with this vision of paradise. He turned back and followed the tracks. Red dots were splatter in the sand and the footprints. Each footprint was filled with more red liquid then the last, fresh blood_._ Shepard was only twenty meters form the cave. He could make out more features of the watching child. Two yellow eyes peered out behind a veil of black hair. Her red dress was barely visible in the darkness. Her legs and feet were red with blood. She turned from Shepard and walked further into the darkness.

Shepard's pace quickened, he had questions and she was the answer. There was a loud hostile cry from behind him. He turned to see a man emerge from the brush. He was human, wearing torn and filthy clothes. His face was covered with blood and charcoal war paint. His hair and beard was wild and unkempt, he held a pistol in his right hand and an omni-blade glowed over his left. Slowly more people in a similar state, a few with guns and the others had axes, hammers or other tools as well as weapons crafted from rocks and sticks. "Sky Man bad, Kill Sky Man!" The first man who Shepard presumed was the leader ordered.

The people charged, screaming in anger. Those with guns fired carelessly without aiming. Shepard fired his pistol back but only those hit with headshots fell and turned to dust. Shepard turned and ran into the cave. The ground shook and he looked back to see rocks falling over the entrance. The leader stared at him and then charged as if he was in a krogan blood rage. He dashed through the falling rocks that kept the others a bay and leaped at Shepard with his omni-blade ready to slice him. Shepard's shots did nothing, he was sure that he would die but feared whether he'll go back to reality or drop dead on the Normandy. Shepard braced for the impact, hoping to doge his blade, his shields were depleting as the leaders pistol fired in mid-flight. Suddenly instead of getting skewered by the omni-blade Shepard was hit in the face by a cloud of blood red ash.

Shepard cleared his eyes and looked around. The entrance was blocked and he was left in total darkness. He activated his omni-tool's flashlight and looked around at the wet rocks. The leader had disappeared but bloody footprints of the child remained on the floor. He had no choice so he continued to follow them.

The cave seamed to go on forever, it twisted and turned left and right, up and down if it wasn't for the footprints an the linier path he was sure he would be lost. Shepard was tense as his mind was racing with questions. _Where am I?_ _Why am I here? Who were those people? Who is that girl?_

Echoing down the cave the sound of a woman talking to herself. "Don't eat bad food. Food not bad, food good. Good food gone, bad food left. No, food good."

Shepard rounded a corner to see a woman in a similar state to the men outside gorging herself on a pile of fruit and vegetables. "Hello." Shepard said as he cautiously approached. The woman stopped eating and turned to face him. She snarled at him before scurried away into the darkness.

Shepard continued. He must have spent an hour exploring the cold dark depths of this cave. Soon he came upon a light shining through a gap in the celling. The shaft of light illuminated a metal create guarded by two LOKI mechs. The woman from earlier was standing between the crate and Shepard. "Good food." She whispered with joy as she started to approach the crate in hypnotic disbelief. The mechs activated and watched her approach. They raised their weapons.

"No, Stop!" Shepard screamed as he took aimed at the mechs, but he was too late. The mechs fired and gunned down the woman who fell to the ground and turned to ash. Shepard fired on the mechs only for the light to go out. Shepard turned his flashlight back on only to find the mechs and the crates had disappeared and in their place the path through the cave ended with an opening onto an expanse of darkness. This time in the centre stood Jacob and another man.

"My father died a long time ago. You are nothing like him, you are a monster." Jacob said and pulled out a pistol. "One shot, make it count." Jacob handed the pistol to the man who had a solemn and defeated look before walking off.

The man turned and looked towards Shepard. More of the savage people for before moved pass Shepard and slowly approached the man. "I'm so sorry, Jacob." He said before raising the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. A flash of light enveloped Shepard and he found himself back on the Normandy.

"Commander, my sensors indicated that you were dead for approximately one point three five seconds. Are you all right?" EDI asked.

"What… err… Yes I'm fin EDI." Shepard responded, he was still confused and in disbelief at what had happened.

"What kind of question was that? Of course the Commander's fine he's standing right there." Joker said form the cockpit.

"My scanners do not lie. Shepard did register as clinically dead."

"We'll as he's talking to us now he must be alive, isn't that right Commander."

"Yes Joker, I'm fine… Come on let's go and get that professor." Shepard said to Miranda and Jacob as they entered the air lock.

"Shepard." Miranda whispered to him. "It was her again wasn't it?"

"Yes. I had some kind of vision thing that to me lasted for an hour or so."

"What was it about?"

"I don't know. There was this tropical planet, these crazy humans and Jacob handing a gun to someone so he could shoot himself."

"That's odd. I wonder what it means."

"I don't know, but I also had a vision about you this morning and one of Tali on Freedom's Progress." The doors opened and the stench and heat of Omega hit them like a krogan. "I'll talk more about it later." Shepard wisped to Miranda as they stepped onto the station.

* * *

><p>After picking up the mercenary Zaeed Massani and talking to Aria T'Loak 'Quean of Omega' Shepard, Jacob, Miranda and now Zaeed entered the quarantine zone where Mordin has been attempting to cure the plague that has swept through this zone.<p>

"So why is this salarian scientist so important anyways?" Zaeed asked as they were waved through by the turian guards.

"We need him to come up with a countermeasure for the collectors weapons." Miranda answered as the door open reviling a staircase bathed in an orange glow. Thick smoke and the stench of burning flesh filled the air.

"Burning bodies, standard page control." Zaeed commented as they entered an open space with piles of burning corpses. Two Blue Sun's mercs noticed the group and opened fire. Miranda and Jacob hit them with their biotics as Zaeed and Shepard returned fire quickly taking down the mercs.

The group continued down the steps and came across a sick batarian. "Hay, are you ok?" Shepard asked. The batarian cough and spluttered before looking up at Shepard.

"Go away human, your kind has done enough damage." He said.

"What makes you think we did this?"

"You humans are immune to plague… It's too strong so it must be artificial."

"What about the vorcha?"

"Them! There too stupid to create it. Now leave me allow human." The batarian said before coughing some more.

"I'm looking for a salarian called Mordin Solus."

"Why should I… help… you…" He started to say but descended into a coughing fit.

Shepard bought up his omni-tool and got some medi-gel ready. "Hay stay with..." he didn't get to finish as he was shoved out the way and saw Paxton Fettel surrounded in a red glow and literally jump into the batarian. He twitched and convulsed before falling still. Shepard drew his pistol and stepped back pointing the gun at the batarian.

"What's the gun for, he's dead ain't he?" Zaeed asked.

"Yes he is." The batarian chuckled to everyone's surprise except Shepard. "This body feels different, very different. Mordin's clinic is down this path Shepard. Oh he's a very interesting character, he once took out a Blue Sun squad who asked him for protection money, and he then displayed the bodies as a warning. I like this salarian."

"What did you do to him Paxton?" Shepard asked.

"He was dying Shepard and your medi-gel wouldn't have cured him. I just gave his death a meaning." Paxton chuckled. "Now I advise you all take a step back, this will be messy." He said with a smile. The group looked between each over before walking backwards. The batarian exploded covering them with blood, bone, organs and other body parts. Paxton's evil chuckle could be heard echoing throughout Omega.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Zaeed said as he wiped the gore from his face.

"That was Paxton Fettel, and that's all I know." Shepard said cleaning the blood off his armour. Miranda was screaming in disgust as Jacob removed bits of batarian from her hair.

"Shepard, be honest with me. Why did that batarian explode?"

"I don't know Zaeed. I wish I did, ever since I've woke up some crazy things that the Illusive Man doesn't wasn't me to know about has been happening. When I find the answers I'll be happy to tell you. Now let's get going before those Blue Suns decide to pop." Shepard said as the group brushed as much blood off and continued down the streets and alleys of Omega.

They approached a blue sign of Kokomo Plaza Shepard peered around the corner and spotted barricade with two Blue Suns on top, to the sides were three more mercs. "Miranda, Jacob, you what down here for the signal to attack. Zaeed you're with me up on the balcony."

The squad nodded in agreement and took positions. Shepard looked down on the Blue Sun barricade and lifted his assault rifle. He took aim at the one on the merc on the left Zaeed the one on the right. He fired, his shot hitting the merc in the head, Zaeed hit the other. Miranda and Jacob fired on the mercs in the side path and hit them with biotics. The mercs under fire from two sides quickly fell. Shepard and Zaeed met up with Miranda and Jacob down on the ground. "Good job, this way." Shepard said and began to walk around the barricade only to stop when static filled his comms and bloody child's footprints were across the floor. His eyes followed them to a side door that closed behind the girl in red.

"A child, these prints are fresh, I didn't see anyone." Zaeed said but everyone else had an idea of who left them. Shepard felt compelled to follow the foot prints and through the door.

"Shepard, don't go." Miranda begged but he ignored her. The doors opened reviling a passage to a spacious apartment. The girl in red stood at the far end in front of a consol. She pressed a button before turning and smiled to Shepard, she then vanishing in to a cloud of ash.

Shepard approached the console. On the screen was an old news report form 2158. "Today the Armacham Technology Corporation officially declared bankruptcy. It came as no surprise as the once major Alliance defence contractor has been in hard times since the First Contact War last year. "The news reporter said. "The company has also taken hard hits from investigations into alleged crimes against humanity and inhumane experiments. Also with this news is that several of Armacham's top executives and researchers have disappeared including primary suspects former Chairman Genevieve Aristide and Doctor Harlan Wade."

Shepard clutched his head in pain, that name, Harlan Wade. It was familiar. It had a sense of dread and evil about it.

"Who are you?" A voice suddenly shouted, Shepard span round to see a mid-aged man standing behind a column.

"I'm Commander Shepard. I'm here to help." He said.

"Since when did helping involve braking into our home and watching ANN on my console?"

"That… Never mind that, why are you still here?"

"We want to leave, but those Blue Suns have been out to get us. They're killing as many people as the plague." He said and walked over to a counter where a woman came out of hiding.

"Why do they want you dead?" Shepard asked.

"Every none-human wants us dead. They think we started the plague." The woman said. Shepard went onto ask them about Mordin's location, and convinced them to follow him to safety at the clinic.

That turned back past the barricade and down a flight of stairs. The sound of gunfire up ahead greeted them. Shepard peered around a corner to see vorcha and other Blood Pack troops attacking the Blue Suns. They turned and opened fire on the Blue Suns backs quickly taking them out. The vorcha lead by a krogan attacked. Shepard and Zaeed fired there assault rifles whist Miranda and Jacob attacked with biotics.

The attack was relentless. Vorcha and krogan kept charging firing their weapons wildly. A krogan charged Shepard. His shields depleted quickly under its shotgun fire. The krogan was close, about to ram him. Time seamed to slow for Shepard. He quickly sidestepped the krogan leaving the beast to crash into a wall. He fired his assault rifle into its back, the krogan turned with blood rage setting in. it charged again. This time Shepard charged back at it firing his assault rifle. At the last second he dropped to the ground and slid into the krogan's legs knocking them out from under him. Shepard turned and closed in on the fallen krogan, his assault rifle blazing as orange blood splatted form its armour. It tried to stand up but Shepard kinked it back down and fired into its head. The krogan died and Shepard let go of the trigger.

He turned to see the rest of the Blood pack troops had been taken care off. "Damn Shepard, I've never seen a man tackle a krogan and win." Zaeed said.

"Come on, Mordin's clinic is down here." Shepard said and walked around the piles of vorcha and krogan bodies.

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><p>"Hmm… Don't recognize you from aria. Too well-armed to be refugees. No mercenary uniform. Quarantine still in effect. Here for something else." Mordin said as he examined the group. "Vorcha? Crew to clean them out? Unlikely. Vorcha a symptom, not a cause. The plague? Investigating possible use as bio-weapon? No. Too many guns, not enough data equipment. Soldiers, not scientists. Hired guns, maybe? Looking for someone? Yes! But who? Someone important. Valuable. Someone with secrets. Someone like me."<p>

"Relax, Mordin." Shepard interrupted. "I'm Commander Shepard, and I came here to find you. We're on a critical mission and we need your help."

"Mission? What mission? No. Too busy. Clinic understaffed. Plague spreading too fast. Who sent you?" Mordin rapidly said. _'Does he ever stop to breath?' _Shepard thought.

"Have you herded of Cerberus?" Shepard asked.

"Cerberus. Human extremist group. Crossed paths on occasion. Thought that only worked with humans. Why need me?"

"A race called the Collectors has been abducting entire human colonies. We're going to stop them and we need your help."

Collectors? Interesting. plague hitting theses slums is engineered. Collectors one of few groups with technology to design it. Our goals may be similar." Morden pondered. "But must stop plague first. Already have a cure. Need to distribute it at environmental control centre. Vorcha guarding it. Need to kill them."

"I'll do that for you." Shepard said. The gentle hum of omega air circulation system suddenly failed.

"What the hell was that?" Jacob asked.

"Vorcha have shut down environmental system. Trying to kill everyone. Need to get power back on before district suffocates" Mordin said. "Here, take plague cure. Just insert into environmental controls. Simple. One more thing, Denial. One of my assistants. Went into vorcha territory. Looking for victims. Hasn't come back."

"If I see him, I'll do what I can to help."

* * *

><p>The Blood Pack vorcha stood in the centre of the room. Shepard took aim at the canisters of the pyro trooper. His incendiary animation penetrated the canister, igniting it and exploding scattering the vorcha across the room. Several more vorcha opened fire on Shepard and his team. Again time seamed to slow for Shepard as he hit five vorcha in the head with his sniper rifle. A krogan charged at Miranda. Shepard dived and threw her out the way as Jacob lifted it for Zaeed to fill it with mass accelerated rounds.<p>

A short while later Shepard and his team continued through the slums. They claimed a flight of stairs with two doors above. It was then Shepard herd arguing from the other side of the left door. "I knew it!" A batarian voice exclaimed. "You humans are spreading the plague!"

"No, no it's the cure! I swear!" A shaky human said. Shepard approached the door only for the lock to turn read. He swore under his breath and brought up his omni-tool to hack the lock.

"Don't lie human!" The batarian snarled. Shepard franticly worked at hacking the door, static suddenly filled there comms. "Get this door open, now!" He ordered Miranda suddenly understood and began to help hacking. Jacob and Zaeed tried to find other ways to open the door. "Open the door! You're all in danger!" Shepard shouted as he banged on it.

"What was that?" The batarian said. "Garv, go che… Garv?" Screaming and banging suddenly echoed through the door. Shepard team stopped and listened. Before they knew it the sounds stopped and the lock turned green.

Shepard drew his assault rifle as did the others. They nodded and prepared to face whatever was on the other side. Shepard opened the door and stood in shock at the sight before him. Blood covert the darkened room, the skeletons of batarians littered the floor. In the centre under the only light left lay a human man. His scientist's uniform was drenched with blood as he lay curled in a ball, shivering and whimpering. Kneeling behind him was the girl in the red dress softly stroking his head with an apologetic look on her face. She looked at Shepard before turning to ash.

"Who the bloody hell was that!" Zaeed exclaimed as Shepard cautiously walked towards the man.

"Shepard, don't go in there!" Jacob said.

"Are you ok?" Shepard asked the man as the others reluctantly followed.

"No… please." He whispered. "I-I d-don't want… too… d-d-die."

"My name is Commander Shepard. I'm here to help you. Are you Daniel?" Shepard asked crouching by the man. He nodded. "Daniel, Mordin sent me to find you. Stay with us and we'll keep you safe."

"H-how... c-can I trust you?"

"Because we're the good guys, Jacob here can escort you back to the clinic. Can't you Jacob?"

"Yes Commander. I'll keep you safe, Daniel." Jacob said.

"Never mind that, who was that girl?" Zaeed asked.

"I wish I knew Zaeed. She's been following me ever since I woke up." Shepard muttered in response as he helped Daniel to his feet.

"T-that… g-g-girl. She just appeared and then… then..." Daniel started to say before Jacob finished for him.

"Whatever happened to Wilson happened to these batarians."

"It's ok Daniel. From the looks of it she saved you. If she wanted you dead then why would she have let you live?" Shepard said.

"You're right Commander. Thank you." Daniel said.

"It's what I do." Shepard replied.

* * *

><p>"I told you he's soft."<p>

"No, he just cares about others."

"What do you see in him? He's nowhere near as powerful as us."

"He saved the galaxy."

"But why save all these low life scum. We're supposed to be gods among men."

"And gods care for their subjects. You're starting to sound like my farther."

"I'm nothing like him!"

"Yes you are! Now get out of my sight."

"Of course, Mother."

* * *

><p>"You no come here. We shut down machines, break fans! Everyone choke and die! Then Collectors make us strong!" A vorcha shouted from across the absurdly large environmental control room.<p>

"So it was the Collectors! What do they want?" Shepard shouted back.

"Collectors want plague! You work for doctor, turn on machines, put cure in air. We kill you first!"

Zaeed pulled up his assault rifle and put a round through the vorcha's head before diving for cover with Shepard and Miranda as more vorcha opened fire from the other side. Shepard drew his sniper rifle and put an incendiary round through a pyro trooper's canister causing them to explode and take several vorcha with him.

Soon the last vorcha fell to the skill and firepower of Shepard's team. Shepard approached the main control panel of the environmental systems and inserted the cure. "Cure's in, now we just need to power up the fans." He said and looked around for the fan controls. "Where are the controls?"

"I have located the fan controls." EDI said over their radios. "There are two, one on either side of the room you are in now."

"What idiot designed this system?" Shepard muttered as vorcha poured in for across the room. Shepard, Miranda and Zaeed opened fire and took out the first wave only for more vorcha to rush in.

"There swarming us!" Miranda said.

"I know! To the right." Shepard ordered as he Ran down the steps to the side. More vorcha rushed out of the fan control room only for Shepard to hit them with multiple headshots in rapid succession.

"Damn Shepard. I've never seen a better marksman." Zaeed commented as they rushed into the control room.

"I've always found it easy. It's as if time slows for me." Shepard said as he activated the fans. "That's one done."

Shepard and his team fought their way back through the hordes of vorcha and the odd krogan. They soon fell as Shepard reached the second fan control room where he again activates it. "That's it let's get back to Mordin." Shepard said before turning back toward the clinic with Miranda and Zaeed following.


	4. Interval 4 Archangel

**I apologise for a terrible mistake! Especially to my beta reader slicerness. I accidently uploaded the non-spellchecked, un-edited, not beta read version of this chapter. It's fixed now and all spellings are in British English.**

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><p>Here is the next Chapter for you to enjoy.<p>

Thank you for the reviews. They really help me work harder at this.

Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes. But there shouldn't be thanks to my beta reader slicerness.

Please continue to review.

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><p><strong>Interval 4 – Archangel<strong>

Mordin had successfully settled into the Normandy's science lab and Zaeed a spare room on the engendering deck. Shepard stepped out of the elevator and looked over the ships hanger. The Kodiak shuttle hung suspended as engineers Ken and Gabby argued over the FBA couplings Shepard brought for the Normandy. "No Zaeed, please!" A muffled voice shouted from Zaeed's room. Shepard turned and approached his door. "Shut it Vido!" Zaeed shouted as Shepard heard the sound of something hard hitting flesh and someone hitting the floor.

The door was locked "EDI open this door!" Shepard said only not to receive a response. He banged on the door "Zaeed!" He shouted, "Zaeed open this door!"

"I'll pay you, anything you want. Just don't shoot me, please don't…" The first voice pleaded.

"There's only one thing I want." A gunshot rang out as Shepard continued to bang on the door. The door flew open and Zaeed stood there arms crossed. "Yeah Shepard, my door was open ya know."

"What's going on in here?" Shepard demanded as he entered looking for anyone else.

"What?" Zaeed asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You were arguing with someone and then shot a gun." Shepard insisted.

"Shepard. There's no one here and I didn't shoot noting." Zaeed stated in a flat matter-of-fact tone.

"Commander." EDIs voice pitched in. "Mr Massani is telling the truth. He was the only person in this room and did not discharge a weapon."

"See Shepard." Zaeed said.

"However Commander," EDI continued "my scanners registered an EMF increases of 253 per cent on you exact location before Mr Massani opened the door."

"What does that have to do with me herring things?" Shepard asked.

"It is in my programing to report all major fluctuations in the ship's electromagnetic frequency to Operative Lawson and the Illusive Man. As to why it was important to you herring or seeing things I don't know, there are possibly blocks preventing me from answering." EDI said.

Shepard sighed and turned back to Zaeed. "Sorry for that. A lot of impossible thing have been happening lately."

"Hah, I saw a batarian explode and a girl tear room of the buggers apart before vanishing into thin air. Impossible doesn't cover it." Zaeed laughed.

Shepard also chuckled nervously before leaving to see Miranda.

* * *

><p>As Shepard suspected Miranda was sitting behind her desk working at her console when he entered. She looked up to him "Ah, Shepard. I wanted to speak with you."<p>

"So did I Miranda."

"Well, please take a seat." She said gesturing to an empty chair as she moved to sit in another. "You said earlier you had a vision about me after we talked." She said in a worried tone.

"Yes, as crazy as this sounds, you'd just left when I heard you scream 'you betrayed me' I turned to see that the lower section of my cabin was an empty void of space with you in the centre pointing a gun at someone."

"Who was he?" Miranda asked.

"I don't know, you didn't say a name, but you were arguing as if you knew him." Shepard answered.

"What were we arguing about?"

Shepard took a deep breath. "He said that you stole a baby."

Miranda flinched and panicked. "How did you know that?" She cried in shocked anger, jumping out of her seat.

"I saw it in a vision." Shepard said, raising his hands in defence.

Miranda sighed and sat down shaking with shock and fear. "How?" She finally said in disbelief.

"I don't know Miranda. I wish I did. Things have getting stranger each day. Is it true, Miranda?" Shepard asked.

"Yes," She whispered. "My sister Oriana . I rescued her when I ran away from my farther. You remember what I said about me being made for perfection? Well, he deemed me a failure and tried again. I couldn't let her go through what I did so when I ran away I took her with me." Tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

"You did the right thing Miranda." Shepard tried to reassure her.

"I know I did but the only other people who know about this are the Illusive Man and…" Miranda paused as if realising a painful theory. "Shepard, did the man in the vision have brown hair with a slight beard and moustache?"

"Yeah… I think so."

"No it can't be… you said that I said he betrayed me?"

"Yes, and then you apologised before shooting him." Shepard said. Miranda was trying to keep a calm appearance but Shepard could see her tearing up inside. He now doubted whether telling her was right. He also wondered how these visions are true and what they all mean.

"No… he would never…" Miranda muttered to herself, her voice tainted with slight sorrow. "I'm sorry Shepard but could you leave? I need to send a message."

"Of course, just be ready to collect Archangel."

* * *

><p>Shepard stepped out of the hover car followed by Miranda, Zaeed and Mordin as batarian Blue Sun approached them. "So, do you know what we are up against?" the batarian asked.<p>

"The recruiter was a little sketchy." Shepard answered.

"Hah." The batarian laughed "If everyone knew what was happening then no one would sign up, you see, Archangel is hold up in that building over there. The only way in is across that bridge."

"So we're the cannon fodder." Shepard stated.

"Yes, now report to Sergeant Cathka over by the bridge." The batarian said and left.

"Well, in's gonna be easy, out's gonna be a bitch." Zaeed commented.

"I agree." Miranda said.

"Let's find Archangel before we figure out how to get back." Shepard replied as the group started heading towards the bridge. EDIs voice suddenly comes up over their radios. "Shepard, I've scanned the area, but I am unable to plot any other paths to Archangel. "

"I guess that means we're going in with the mercs."

"Their heavy mechs and gunships are a considerable threat. I suggest you weaken them before leaving to improve your chances." EDI suggested.

"Got it, EDI." Shepard replied. They entered a room with several Eclipse mercs siting around a table discussing their plan of attack. Shepard learned that there leader was a salarian named Jaroth, he also found an interesting data pad with plans for the Eclipse and Blood Pack to take over Omega. Shepard then sneaked into the Eclipse store room and reprogramed their YIMAR heavy mech to fire on the mercs when activated.

Next was the Blood Pack leader Garm who claimed to have survived a one-on-one fight with Archangel and the only reason he was here was to finish the fight. Shepard and his team weren't at all intimidated by the krogan warlord. The last merc group was the Blue Suns who appeared to be leading the operation against Archangel. Much to Shepard's surprise Zaeed knew their leader, a batarian named Tarak.

They finally reached the last barricade where the freelancers gathered. "Cathka?" Shepard asked to a freelancer, who moved the sided and gestured to a batarian repairing a gunship. Shepard nodded and approached the Blue Sun merc. "Are you Cathka?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah, that's me. Are you the four that Salkie sent?" Cathka responded in a usual gruff batarian voice.

"Salkie?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah the guy they greets the freelancers. He radioed ahead to let me know you're coming. I guess he was right when he said well-armed. So do you know what's going on?"

"Yeah, we charge across that bridge distracting Archangel whilst you do something."

"That's right. If you don't like it you can still quit. But you'll never work with any of the mercs here again…" A console next to him started flashing red and Cathka jumped to his comms. "Check. Bravo team… Go, go, go!" The other freelancers received the order and positioned themselves behind the barricade. "Archangel's got quite a surprise waiting for him. Now get going, I've got to fix this bird." Cathka said as he went back to work on the gunship. Shepard turned and with his team walked towards the barricade ready to save Archangel. No one noticed a man in a leather jacket surrounded in a red glow appear behind him with an evil smile. "You're working too hard." He said in a harsh monotonous voice. Cathka didn't even get to scream.

"Archangel doesn't have much time left." Miranda said as the freelancers scrambled over the barricade. They landed on the bridge with their weapons ready and firing at the balcony that Archangel was on. A freelancer launched a grenade only for it to miss and received a sniper round through the head as Shepard, Miranda, Mordin and Zaeed landed. "Come on. We'll give these guys a surprise of our own." Shepard said as he drew his assault rifle.

His first shots took down three of them before they even knew what was happening. The others started to panic as they found themselves surrounded. Some made a dash to Archangels hideout only to get sniped from above. Those who stayed and fought soon fell from the two sided attack. Soon the freelancers were dead and Shepard's team reached the other side of the bridge.

Archangels 'hideout' was actually a spacious apartment. The centre of the room was a living area with a kitchen of the side. Miranda moved in front of Shepard keeping an eye out for any remaining freelancers. "It's clear. Archangel is up…" Mirada suddenly dissolved into a cloud of ash as a sharp static hit Shepard's comms. "Miranda!" Shepard cried and turned to look for the others. To his horror Mordin and Zaeed were nowhere to be found.

Shepard started to panic. He franticly aimed his assault rifle around looking for any threats. His heart raced as he spotted familiar footprints of blood. This time however they were appearing as if someone or something was walking, only he couldn't see anyone. The footprints walked up the stairs to the second level as whispers began echoing around Shepard's mind. _'He left us.' _an unfamiliar man whispered as Shepard cautiously made his way up the stairs. _'We died for him.' _A different voice whispered. It was a tough male voice, sounding distinctively like a Turian's.

He reached the top and rounded a corner to see a door close behind the girl in red. _'He was tricked, all of us were.' _a female voice whispered. Shepard approached the door only to find it was sealed shut with no way of opening it. Shepard huffed and turned around. He flinched back when he saw a group of ten people of different races covered in red, blue and green blood staring at him. There were humans, turians a batarian and a salarian wearing an assortment of armour and weapons that were heavily damaged from combat. The corridor around them was covered in blood of their spices. In a blink of an eye they vanished along with the blood leaving Miranda, Zaeed and Morden walking towards Shepard. "Is Archangel in there?" Miranda asked.

Shepard stared at them with a stunned and fearful face. "What's the matter, Shepard? You look like you've seen a ghost." Zaeed said sarcastically. Shepard's expression remained unchanged. "You did see a ghost, didn't you?" Zaeed said more quietly. Shepard gulped and nodded in response.

"Yeah." He said. "Where were you? You all just disappeared."

"We were following you." Miranda answered.

"Joker to ground team!" Their radios suddenly called. "Is everything ok down there? EDI says that the Commanders life singes just died again."

"Yeah, we're fine Joker." Shepard answered. "Come on let's not keep Archangel waiting." He said, cutting off Mordin and turned to the now open door. A turian in blue armour sat looking out over the bridge. "Archangel?" Shepard asked.

The turian nodded before turning to face them. "Shepard? I thought you were dead." He said in a very familiar voice before removing his helmet to show a very familiar face.

"Garrus! What are you doing here?" Shepard exclaimed in joy.

Garrus gave a dry, exhausted chuckle. "What I've always done. Stop the bad guys." He then sighed; Shepard could tell something was bothering him.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"I've been better. It's been tough here on Omega… especially on my own." Garrus sighed. "But seeing a friendly face is helping." He said giving a slight, exhausted smile.

"Well we're here to help. Getting in was the easy part, how do we get out?" Shepard said.

"Well that bridge is the only thing keeping me alive…. funning all those witless idiots into my scope." Garrus said and walked to the balcony. "But it works bough ways. If we try to run well be slaughtered."

"So you're suggesting we'll sit here and take on all of 'em." Zaeed said.

Garrus shrugged, "It's worked so far. They're getting desperate now so it shouldn't be much longer until we take enough out to make a run for it." Garrus said as he looked across the bridge through his rifle scope. "Here they come. Eclipse by the looks of it and they've got an YMIR."

"Oh, I don't think we need to worry about that." Shepard said as he took aim next to Garrus with his Sniper rifle. The YMIR mech unfolded and engaged its weapons as Eclipse mercs and mechs leaped over the barricade. The YMIR turned suddenly and opened fire on them with its machine gun and rockets. The mercs panicked under the slaughter their own mech was creating, helped along by generous amounts of sniper fire from Garrus and Shepard.

"I've forgot how good you were." Garrus complained as Shepard continued to get headshot after headshot on the mercs and mechs.

"It's not my fault if everyone is moving ridiculously slowly." Shepard said as another merc received a round between his eyes.

"They're not Shepard." Garrus said, giving Shepard a strange look before turning back to the mercs.

"Well they are to me." Just then the heavy mech shut down and fell before self-destructing, killing the remaining mercs. "Now the real work begins. Here they come." Shepard said as the last Eclipse mercs, led by Jaroth himself, leaped over the barricade and charged the hideout. They didn't make it across.

When the last merc fell the bridge went silent. Garrus moved away from the window with Shepard. "We're kicking ass, Shepard. They barely touched us. Just like old times." He said with a smile. "And we got Jaroth; I've been hunting that little bastard for months."

"That's good. We've still got the Blood Pack and Blue Suns left. We may be able to make a run for it? We've faced worse."

"Maybe, let's see what they're up to." Garrus turned and looked out the window through his rifles scope. "It looks like they're reinforcing the other side… heavily. But they're not coming over the bridge yet. What are they…" A loud thud echoed through the room as the building shook and an alarm blared.

"What the hell was that?" Miranda asked.

Garrus raised his omni-tool "Damn it. They've breached the lower level. Well they had to use their brains eventually. You'd better get down there, Shepard. I'll keep the bridge clear."

"I'm not living you alone Garrus. Zaeed help him." Shepard ordered. Not even letting Garrus argue.

"Roger that, Shepard. Zaeed replied and moved next to Garrus.

"Well if you're sure. Thanks Shepard, the lower level is down the doors on the west side under the stairs. Good luck."

* * *

><p>The final emergency shutter was closing on the assaulting Blood pack. A Krogan's shotgun blast skimmed past shepherds cover by the console. He leaned around the corner and fired into his thick armoured helmet but only succeeded in enraging the beast. He charged towards Shepard even faster. Luckily, he ran straight into the shutter as it closed on him. Shepard and his team backed up as the Krogan began pounding on the door. Dents were beginning to form on the door when static filled the group's comms. The Krogan stopped pounding and a few seconds later the sound of gunfire as a Krogan screaming could be heard. Shepard and the others watched in shock as the shutter began to heat up and glow orange as the Krogan's bloodcurdling screams died down. The group stood in silence for a moment until Mordin spoke. "Interesting. I must examine this."<p>

"Now's not the time Morden. Let's get back to Garrus and Zaeed." Shepard said, much to Mordin's disappointment.

As they entered the main room of the hideout they saw the Blood Pack leader Garm and his Vorcha entering the room as well. He roared before ordering "Rip them to shreds!" Shepard and his squad opened fire on the Vorcha, killing them almost instantly. Garm roared again and drew his claymore shotgun and charged towards Shepard. Time slowed again as he dived out of the way and fired his assault rifle into the warlords back. Garm turned to fire only to stumble from a blast from Miranda's biotics and a concussive round from Garrus' sniper position, which gave Mordin a chance to fire an incinerate blast. Shepard and Zaeed drowned the flaming Krogan with mass-accelerated rounds.

Garm roared as he shrugged off the bullets that were hitting him, sending his orange blood splattering around. He charged again at Shepard who again dived out the way and pulled out his grenade launcher. But Garm was ready this time and quickly turned and fired his shotgun at Shepard, smashing his shields immediately. Another biotic blast from Miranda distracted him long enough for Shepard to scamper behind cover before he fired a grenade, destroying Garms left arm and scorching the rest of him. This only made him angrier. "It's Just a scratch human!" He roared.

"Shepard. Suspect krogan entered blood rage." Morden said as he firer another incinerate.

"I know!" Shepard cried as he dogged another charge. After another wall of mass-accelerated rounds hit Garm he began to grow sluggish. He roared again but stumbled and fell when two concussive rounds hit him. Shepard showed no mercy as he fired another grenade into the warlords face, leaving only a scorched orange mess.

"He always was one tough Bastard." Garrus admitted as he wiped a bit of Krogan off his shoulder. "We've finally took out Garm and his Blood Pack. This day is getting better and better." He said as they climbed back up to the balcony.

"You've fought him before?" Shepard asked. He'd already herd this but he wanted to know from a more trustworthy source.

"Yeah, we tangled once. I caught him allow. None of his gang there to help. I still couldn't take him. I've never seen a krogan regen that fast. He was a freak of nature. We fought until his vorcha shod up. It was close, but I had to let him go."

"Only the Blue Suns are left. I say we take our chances and fight our way out." Shepard said as he looked back over the bridge.

"I think your right. Tarak's group is the toughest, but it's nothing we haven't faced before. Besides he won…" Garrus trailed off as a hum of engines suddenly grew closer as the Blue Suns gunship sprang up in front of a window. What caught the group by surprise tough was that the left side of the gunship was coated in blood.

"I'll get you Archangel! And your sick friends!" Tarak's shouted through the gunships speakers as he opened fire. To make it worse as squad of Blue Suns had repelled in through a side window. "Miranda, Morden, Zaeed! Take out those troops!" Shepard ordered as he fired a grenade into the gunship.

They were under heavy fire from all sides as more Blue Suns charged unopposed across the bridge. The squad was pinned but managed to take down the last of the Blue Suns that had repelled in offering more cover from the stairs and windows.

They kept firing but Garrus got caught in the open. "Archangel!" Tarak cried as he fired the twin cannons at Garrus. Shepard watched in slow-motion horror as his friend was pinned down behind a couch. Tarak fired a missile that flew straight towards Garrus. What happened next surprised them all, the missile exploded in front of Garrus, but the blast travelled around him. Shepard could also see the girl in the red dress between Garrus and the blast, and quickly disappeared in the flames.

Garrus fell to the ground, but sighed in relief as he was unsaved by the deadly blast. But his moment of relief didn't last as the gunship fired its cannons again. Shepard aimed out of cover, lining his grenade launcher up with the gunships engines. He held his berth as his finger tightened on the trigger. The grenade flew out and landed right where it was aimed, separating the right engine form the ship.

The gunship span out of control and crashed down on the barricade in a fireball that no one could have survived.

"That's it. It's finally over." Garrus sighed.

"Come on let's get to the Normandy." Shepard said before turning to Garrus and Mordin. "I've got some things I need to talk to you two about." Shepard said.

Garrus looked back down on the burning gunship. He let out a weak smile before turning to follow his friend. He knew that whatever Shepard had dragged him into… It wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

><p>Shepard gave a sigh of relief as he stepped out of his shower. It's hard work to save a slum and to take on three merc groups in one day. He slipped on his officer's uniform and stepped out of his cabin and into the elevator. He hit the button for the CIC, he hated debriefings but at least Garrus was back. Tali had already promised to help him as soon as possible so only Ashley, Liara and Wrex were left to find, and hopefully recruit. He smiled at the thought of brining the old team back together. But it quickly disappeared.<p>

A sudden ringing shocked Shepard's ears. He clutched his head as a blurred face entered his vision. He couldn't feel a thing. It was as if he was nowhere without a body. The face cave into focus, Shepard instantly recognised it as the serious face of Paxton Fettel.

"What is the first thing you remember?" Paxton asked.

Long forgotten memories flooded back to him. "Where are you taking him?" A distort woman screamed. Shepard saw a hospital room move by as a man in a lab coat with a moustache looked down on him. "You'll be a god among men." He said before light engulf him as he herd the woman scream "NO!"

"That man I… questioned on Illium, Charles Habegger, remember him? No? Of course you don't." Paxton said as Shepard now found himself standing in a rundown room. In the centre was a chair under a light with a man strapped to it. "Paxton?" The man asked in a dazed state as Paxton approached him. "No, no, no, no! How did you find me?"

Paxton chuckled as he circled Charles. "I have my ways. You know what I'm here for don't you, Chuck?"

"No! Please, don't make me go back there. I tried to forget, I tried so hard to forget." He whimpered as Paxton crouched down to look him in the eyes.

"Well if you remember and tell me then I'll make this quick and painless." He said as he played with a knife and a menacing smirk formed on his lips.

"How is this possible? She's dead…"

"Tell me!" Paxton barked as Charles screamed in pain as Paxton's knife sliced into his leg.

"Please Paxton… I didn't want to do it! It was just a Job… please, I have a wife and…"

"Kidd's? Tell me Chuck, would you want any harm to come to them? Maybe like what you did to me and her?"

"No! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Charles wept.

"Make it right. Tell me where she is." Paxton said as he placed the knife to Charles' neck.

"Auburn! Aldrin system, Armstrong Nebula. In a vault under the abandoned colony of Fairport. Please Paxton, please don't hurt me." Charles sobbed.

"I remember when I used to beg for the same from you. I never got any sympathy. I'm going to enjoy this. Oh, and I'll tell your family you said 'hi'." Paxton said with a smile of pure evil on his face. His head shot forward and he sunk his teeth into Charles' neck. He cried in pain and agony as Paxton tore a chunk of his flesh of and ate it. Shepard felt he was going to be sick but couldn't do anything to stop him; he couldn't even speak as he watched in horror. Charles gurgled on his blood as Paxton turned back to Shepard with a bloodied smile "She's waiting Shepard." Paxton said before he was again engulfed in white light.

Shepard fell to the floor of the elevator, his vision was blurred, he gasped for air, his head pounded and his heart beat was erratic. The lights flickered as the girl in the red dress appeared by the controls looking down at him with a blank expression. For the first time in the life he could remember he was truly frightened. He kept thinking that he was about to die, to be torn apart and melted like everyone else. The lights flickered again and the girl was upon him. Olney Shepard didn't feel pain, he fear dissipated as the girl looked into his eyes with a saddened and worried look. _'I'm sorry.' _Her whispered voice echoed through his now soothed mind as darkness engulfs him.

"_Oh my god! Commander!" _A distorted yet familiar voice called to him. _"Get Chakwas!" _He felt himself being moved as panicked voices echoed around him as dark burred images of people entered his vision.

A light engulf him again. Shepard looked around to find himself standing on lone hill with a dead tree rising from the nearby peak. A swing hung from a lifeless branch and the girl in red sat facing away from him, gently rocking back and forth cradling something in her arms and humming a sweet yet haunting tune. Cautiously Shepard approached her, he didn't know why. His mind told him to run yet his heart was telling him to approach, that he'll be safe. A sudden shocking punch hit Shepard's chest. He grunted and stumbled. The girl gasped and turned to face him with a look of shock and fear on her face, when she saw him though it quickly changed to one of care and worry.

She held her doll close as Shepard continued to approach. He got close when another shocking punch hit his chest and he fell to the ground. He felt two small hands grab him and help him sit up against the tree before the girl warped her cold, pale arms round him in a hug. "Who are you?" Shepard asked. The girl looked up at him with yellow eyes peeking out from behind her black veil of hair. She stared in silence for a few moments before whispering "Alma."

There was a flash as Shepard was looking at Alma through a glass window before she turned to ash. The window was on a looked door, behind were servile doctors were hurrying around an operating theatre. A woman screamed in agony as Shepard found himself being dragged away from the door. The door was at the end of a long cold corridor, the floor flooded with blood up to Shepard's ankles. It didn't feel like he was being pulled, instead he was moving backwards as the corridor extended to an impossible length before him. He could just make out the doors at the far end as they swung open with a bright light shining from behind. The silhouette of a woman appeared in the door and her shadow stretched across the blood to Shepard's feet. She let out a horrifying scream of agony, torment and anger and Shepard found himself accelerating towards her with tremendous speed.

The woman was thin and sickly looking. Her pallid skin was blotted with yellow and black smudges. She was thin, so thin that it looked like she was only bones. Here lifeless wet hair hung over a face that was contort with pain and anger yet was strangely familiar to Shepard. He screamed out of fear as he rocketed towards her. Another shocking punch hit him in the chest and all went white.


	5. Interval 5 Citadel and Criminals

First of let me apologies for the delay. I only blame three things: Life, boredom and a severe case of writers block. This chapter went through three different variations; on top of that I've been writing an assortment different fan fics for almost any ideas I have. I have drafts for Alternate Universe Mass Effect fics, a Harry Potter fic, a Stargate fic, two Fallout fics, even a Call of Duty fic, and those are just examples and many will probably never see the light of day.

I've also been working on improving my work grammatically and its writing style. Hopefully this chapter will be better than the previous ones.

Anyway I'll continue to work on F.E.A.R. E.F.F.E.C.T. until it's finished, even if there are long periods that I don't upload chapters.

Sorry again for the delay and please review.

* * *

><p><strong>Interval 5 – Citadel and Criminals<strong>

Shepard shot up screaming. His breathing was frantic as he looked around the room. It was the med bay but his vision was tinted a dull brown. He could hear snarls and chokes coming from his side. He was force back down as a mutilated and horrifying face looked down on him screaming. He screamed back as there was a flash and the creature turned into the friendly face of Doctor Chakwas.

"Commander! Stay calm! You're alright." She said in a soothing.

Shepard relaxed and groaned as he placed his hands on his throbbing head. "W…What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me commander. The scans were saying that physically there's nothing wrong; however I've never seen brain readings like this. Also normal people don't just collapse in the lift for no reason." Doctor Chakwas said. "You had us all worried Commander. You were going into cardiac arrest and I had to use the defibrillators."

"How long was I out?" Shepard shakily asked with a grown as he lay on the bed, rubbing his temples that still throbbed with mild pain.

"Only about five minutes." Chakwas answered.

"Alma." Shepard suddenly remembered.

"What was that Commander?" Chakwas asked confused.

"She said her name was Alma." Shepard absentmindedly answered.

"Who?" Chakwas asked again, even more confused.

"Never mind... It's nothing." Shepard said. He felt like it was important. But why would he follow the orders of a psychopathic, cannibalistic mad-man who he barely knows and appears to him in dreams? And that is the most insane thought he's ever had. "EDI, tell Joker to set a course for the Citadel." Shepard said towards the holographic pad where a familiar blue orb glowed.

"Yes Commander." EDI replied as Shepard eased himself up on the bed.

"No Commander! You should lie down."

"I'm fine Doctor."

"No. Having a near heart attack for no reason is not 'fine'. As the ship's doctor I'm ordering you to lie down." Chakwas sternly said. Shepard stared into her eyes for some time before sighing in defeat.

"Fine. But only until we reach the Citadel." Shepard grumbled as he lay on the bed and sighed again. _'What the Hell's going on?'_

* * *

><p>The Illusive Man took a long puffed of his cigarette and breathed the thick smoke back out into the stations heavily recycled air. He reached for a bottle of hundred year old whisky only to stop as a holographic button appeared beside his chair.<p>

The Illusive Man raised an eyebrow in curiosity and tapped the hologram. A video recording began to play as a report appeared besides him. He watched in interest as Shepard entered the Normandy's elevator only to clutch his head in pain. He fell to the floor and began to convulse before the video suddenly turned to static and then to the Illusive Man's horror, Alma stood in the elevator with Shepard.

The Illusive Man watched wide-eyed as she watched Shepard then suddenly appeared by his side and seamed to soothe Shepard's pain. Shepard fell uncurious as Alma stood and looked towards the camera. Almost as if she was staring right at the Illusive Man who stared back into the sinister golden yellow eyes glowing from behind the shadow of a long black veil of hair. They moved towards him.

The Illusive Man was almost never surprised or fearful of anything but he yelped in both fear and surprise as Alma herself walked out of the holographic recording into his inner sanctum. He unmoving, cold, hateful eyes bored deep into his blue cybernetic eyes as her ever angered face approached his. Streaks of blood trailed after her as she strolled towards him in a calm and malevolent way whist whispers echoed around and flames burned behind her. A slight smile broke on her face as she watched the Illusive Man panic.

His breathes were rapped and deep. Sweet dripped down his face as the still lit cigarette fell from his fingers. He began to role his chair away as he drew a concealed pistol which immediately overheated to such an extent it burned his hand and clattered to the floor. He now found himself against the reinforced windows that looked out upon a dying sun. He pushed himself as far back as possible as he rapidly tapped the alarm button. No one came.

Ten meters, The Illusive man tapped harder on the button. Five meters, "Please not now. I've came too far for this." He whispered to himself. Two meters. He clenched his eyes shut preparing for the inedible.

Five seconds passed and nothing happened. One of his eyes cautiously opened. He wished it hadn't.

Hundreds of screaming contorted body's floated around his burning office. They twitched uncontrollably as there eyeless heads snapped towards him.

He screamed as he hit the hard cold floor. Silence. The room was empty. The Illusive Man looked around confused as he now found himself back in the centre, unharmed. The word confused comes nowhere near explaining the level of bewilderment he now found himself in.

He took slow deep breaths and began to calm down. He pushed himself from the floor and looked around his office. Empty.

He turned back to the holographic screen that has descended into static. He filched when the words 'I HATE YOU' suddenly appeared before an 'Error corrupted data' message replaced the static.

He sat back into his seat and cleared his throat before turning to the intercom and in a still shanking voice ordered, "Get me Fairport."

* * *

><p>It was a day until they reached the Citadel and Chakwas allowed Shepard to leave the med-bay. Most of the crew came to visit, some to give their support and others out of curiosity. None more so than Miranda who just nodded as Shepard explained what happened.<p>

Garrus also visited and, much to Shepard's dismay, tried to cheer him up with Turian poetry. Shepard was thankful when Chakwas asked him to 'leave Shepard to rest'. He'd rather chew his leg off then listen to another verse to 'Ode to a Krogan slayer'.

'_At least Ashley was good with poetry' _He thought to himself with a frustrated chuckle as the taxi left the port where the Normandy was docked and began to swoop through the congested skies of the station. _'Ash, I wonder where you are now?'_

The Taxi landed outside a C-Sec customs checkpoint. Shepard, Garrus and Mordin stepped out and onto the smooth, white floor.

"Commander Shepard. Enter your password to win a prize." A cheery Japanese voice said catching his attention. Shepard looked towards an advertisement hologram showing the hooded face of a young woman with a purple stripe under her bottom lip.

"Silence is golden." Shepard replied, remembering the dossier.

"Good to meet you Commander." The hologram replied. "Kasumi Goto, at your service." She said with a smile and small bow.

"I presume you've been briefed."

"Nope. I just accepted a job for a secret organization without knowing what it was." Shepard was not amused. He satiated back at the hologram with a serious face. "Okay, fine. Yes I have been briefed. I knew what they wanted me for before they even found me."

"Well if you're as good as they say you are then it's good to have you on-board Miss Goto."

"I may not be the most famous thief in the business, but I'm the best. I suppose I should tell you though, I'm doing this on one condition."

"What's that then?"

"I need your help Shepard. You see a friend of mine… a good friend… someone stole something important of his and I need your help to get it back." Shepard could hear the sadness in her voice, whatever it was it meant a lot to her.

"We'll see what we can do." He said and had a long conisation about grey-boxes and her planed heist before Kasumi left for the Normandy and Shepard turned to enter the Citadel ward. He passed into a long corridor with a turian c-sec officer at the far end. Suddenly alarms sounded.

"What is it...? Yes shut it off." The turian said into his communicator. The alarms cease and he turned to Shepard. "I'm sorry sir but the scanners are saying that you're dead."

"I got better. It's amazing what medicine can do these days."

"Yes quite... Well you're free to go on through but I'll speak to the Captain to get that cleared up." The C-sec officer said. Shepard nodded and walked through the doors.

A sudden sharp burst of ringing and a pain in his head greeted him. The door's had opened to revile a high end apartment with widows looking out upon the cityscape of Illium. The room was dark with the stench of blood and death in the air. Then Shepard saw the source of the smell. A corps lay in the centre of the room with the back of its head torn open as if something was forcefully removed.

Suddenly the sounds of fighting came through the main door. Shepard sighed and cautiously approached curious of what he would find this time. He opened the door and to his surprise found only the C-Sec office.

Shepard shook his head and sighed. _'Why's this happening to me?' _He thought.

* * *

><p>Yesterday was a long, boring and completely frustrated day of Politics for Shepard. At least he's a Spector again however the council refused to do anything. What made it worse was that despite all the evidence he collected the Council still refused to believe him. He was now wishing that he never saved there arses from Sovereign and the Geth.<p>

But he couldn't worry about that now. "Is this suit really necessary?" He asked the cherry Japanese woman next to him.

"It's a privet party, stickle black tie." Kasumi replied with a smile as she flew the car towards the hilltop mansion. "You'll do well to fit in Mr Gunn."

"Mr Gunn?" Shepard asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Solomon Gunn, head of a rising freelance company out in the terminuses." Kasumi explained.

Shepard listened to her and her plan on how to retrieve the graybox from the vault of the arms dealer Donovan Hock. Shepard was impresses at the sight of Hock's mansion as they landed and the man himself personally greeted Shepard however insisted that Kasumi had to remain outside. He didn't count on her tactical clock to take care of that inconvenience.

Inside many partygoers stood around with glasses of champagne conversing about their business and current events, some even talked about rumours that Commander Shepard was alive, he chuckled at that. At a glance no one here would at all appear to be mercenaries, smugglers or arms dealers. It was as if the rich and powerful of humanity were simply having a social gathering. Unfortunately that was the truth.

After mingling with the crowds Shepard snuck down a flight of stairs into a narrow passageway with only one door. On the other side was the Vault's door surrounded by a variety of security devices. Kasumi hummed to herself, "Kinetic barriers, DNA scanners and a voice lock. Keiji could open it in his sleep and I'm better." She mused to herself.

First was simple, all they had to do was cut the barriers power supply. Shepard traced the cables back through the party to a small library where hidden behind a fireplace was the circuit board which was easily cut.

Next was the voice scanner. Shepard needed the password and a sample of Hock's voice. The latter was surprisingly easy to get after Shepard managed to get him to make a speech. The password was slightly harder.

Shepard burst into the security room and placed a round into the first guards head. The second reeled back in surprise but before he could stand and return fire Shepard put two bullets into him. "Clear." Shepard said.

"Right Shep, let's get to work." Kasumi said as they turned to consoles and data-pads and began shifting through the piles until Shepard stumbled across the information they need.

"Peruggia, that's the guy who stole the Mona Lisa." Kasumi stated as they left the office.

The final step was to collect samples of Hock's DNA from his privet quarters. It was easy for Kasumi to imitate the guard's superior to allow Shepard access but as soon as the door open Shepard's eyes waded as he saw a familiar black haired girl in a red dress walk down a flight of stairs.

Shepard cautiously approached and sure enough Alma had disappeared. He shook his head as Kasumi de-cloaked next to him. "What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing." Shepard sighed before heading towards Hocks room.

As he helped Kasumi search the lavish room for DNA his mind always drifted to thoughts of this Alma. Who was she? What does she want? How does she keep appearing and disappearing? Why is she following Shepard? She frightened him yet somehow he was drawn to her. He had a feeling, no an urge to hug her and let her know everything was all right. Yet he also feared that his skin may not remain on his body if he tried.

Once they had collected enough samples of Hock's DNA it was a simple matter for Kasumi to open the vault. Shepard also donned his armour and weapons they had smuggled in and once they reached the vault was impressed by its sheer size of let alone the artefacts on display, Quarian stone writings, ancient krogan statues, Michelangelo's David and most impressive the head of the original Statue of Liberty and that was just a few. But what Kasumi was most interested in was the small device sitting alone on a stand. A graybox.

A relieved Kasumi started to download the data when suddenly a voice echoed through the Vault. "Don't bother Ms Goto. It's codelocked." Said Donovan Hock as his face appeared as a large holographic projection on the far side of the vault. "I had a feeling that was you at the door." he continued. "I thought about sending my security after you but I knew you'd just get in anyway."

"You know me, Hock. I don't like to disappoint." Kasumi calmly responded as the download continued.

Hock snarled. "I need that greybox of yours Ms Goto, and you know I'm willing to kill you and you friend to get it. I'll admit your skills are impressive, you walked into my vault as if I left the doors open. But that won't do you any good. You see as I speak my teams are surrounding the vault. You'll die screaming Ms Goto, just like…"

A sharp sudden gunshot echoed through the room as at the sound of smashing pottery clanged around. Both Hock and Kasumi turned to see a frustrated Shepard pointing a smoking gun at the remains of a five thousand year old Asari Vase. "Can we get this over with?"

Kasumi let out a short giggle but Hock didn't find it funny. "Kill them!" He all but screamed as the Hologram fazed from existence. The doors at the far end swished open as Eclipse Mercs charged in guns blazing.

Shepard and Kasumi dived behind cover as bullets smashed into the priceless antiques. Mass-accelerated rounds whizzed and swilled over Shepard's head. He focused, his berthing depend. He leant out of cover as the world slowed and pulled up his M-96 Mattock rifle. He lined up the sights with the almost still head of an Eclipse merc and squeezed the trigger. Blood sprayed from the now shattered skull as Shepard moved to another, again the same crimson spray flowed form his skull. Three more went down in rapid succession before he ducked back down as bullets began to smash into his shield.

"Kasumi," He called. "You flank ri… Kasumi?" He asked as he stared at the spot the Japanese thief once crouched. She had disappeared again. It was the surprised screams of the Eclipse mercs that let Shepard know where she went. He picked around the corner to see Kasumi stab one merc before using his corps as a shield whist she took out two others with her gun. She dropped the corps just in time to kick the gun out another mercs hand before letting loos a flurry of punches and kicks before finally snapping the merc's neck. Shepard was impressed as he stood and carefully waked towards the Japanese thief who stood amongst a pile of yellow armoured corpses stained with crimson blood.

It was them something moved in the corner of his eye. He turned to see a final merc, Security Chief Roe his HUD marked. She moved to lean out from behind Michelangelo's David, her gun ready to kill. "KASUMI! DUCK!" Shepard screamed as the world around him slowed to a near standstill.

He drew up his rifle and with cool, slow and deep breaths aimed for Chief Roe. He fired. The mass accelerated thermal round left the barrel and speed across the vault and with immense accuracy punched though the merc's weakened shields and subsequently turned her head into a fin red mist.

"Wow, thanks Shep, good shot." Kasumi said.

"Don't worry about it." Shepard said dismissively, "And that was some good kung fu stuff."

"It was karate actually, mixed with a bit of ninjutsu." Kasumi smile as the two headed trough the vault doors in such of an exit.

What followed was a myriad of shooting, ducking, diving, drop-kicking, curb stomping, slide tackling, explosions, disintegration, burning, invisibility, slow-motion, and most of all killing as Shepard and Kasumi left a trail of death and destruction thought Hock's underground labyrinth.

Shepard finally let loose a sigh of relief as they eventually made it to an outside docking pad. "EDI we're outside, send down the shuttle." He said into his communicator whilst carefully scanning the cargo crates for threats, it was then he heard the unmistakable hum of fast approaching engines.

A gunship sot up and over the landing pad. Its engines roared as the ripples of kinetic barriers flowed around its hull. Its mas accelerated machine guns opened fire forcing Shepard and Kasumi to dive ever side to for cover.

"We've could have done this the easy way, Goto!" The voice of Donovan Hock, filled with spite, called through the gunships loudspeakers. "Now, allow me to show you the hard way!"

He opened fire pelting Shepard's cover with mass accelerated rounds. He kept low as he scurried around the crates that were brushed aside by the storm of flying rounds. What made it worse was that more Eclipse mercs arrived on the platform and opened fire suppressing him. "KASUMI! COVER ME!" He called as he unclamped the ML-77 Missile Launcher from his back and prepared himself behind the reinforced container that shook with impacts form the Gunships and mercs' weapons.

"On it!" Kasumi called back as she cloaked and leaped over her cover. She sprinted across the platform narrowly avoiding a few stray rounds that glanced off her barriers. She reached a group of four mercs who were firing on Shepard from a small circle of crates. She leaped over crashing into one and quickly dispatched them all. The other mercs turned their attention to her allowing Shepard to lean out of cover and in slow-motion launch a volley of guided missiles towards the Gunship.

The missiles flew through the air and each impacted the Gunship depleting its barriers to almost nothing. Hock panicked, he swung the gunship away from the platform before Shepard could take the killing blow. What made it worse was that more Eclipse mercs had ascended onto the platform. Shepard and Kasumi opened fire and one by one the mercs fell. Suddenly the sound of edges rose again as Hock's gunship with its barriers fully charged crested the edge and hovered.

"This is your last warning Kasumi! Lay down your weapons!" Hock demanded. Shepard and Kasumi answered by opening fire on the gunship and the newly arrived mercs. Hock responded by releasing a salvo of missiles that Shepard narrowly avoided before releasing his own back. Once again the gunship's barriers took the full force of the blast.

"He's gonna escape again!" Shepard called in annoyance.

"Not this time." Kasumi answered and before Shepard could ask what she meant the Japanese thief sprinted from cover and in a swift and skilled series of jumps and swings, she scaled the side of a large pipe before sprinting across the top. Shepard looked up in awe at the sight as Kasumi made a seemingly impossible leap form the end and miraculously landed gracefully on the Gunship's cockpit. She raised her omni-tool and in a flash the barriers were down. Finale she gave an understandably upset Hock a smile and wave before leaping of, flipping thought the air and landing unharmed on the platform next to a wide eyed Shepard.

"Well don't just sit there. Shoot him!"

"Oh right." Shepard said as he shook his head clear of amazement and turned back to the Gunship. Using his last clip he let lose a final salvo of missiles. They flew through the air and banked towards the Gunship that swerved at avoided them. They didn't miss. They hit the Gunship side on, blasting through the armour plating and striking the element zero core. First there was a ball of fire and then the flames turned blue as the eezo ignited. Then there was the blast and shockwave as the Gunship and Hock was reduced to dust with the odd peace of small debris.

The last remaining guards panicked and in the confusion Shepard and Kasumi dispatched them before their shuttle finally arrived.

* * *

><p>Kasumi nodded to Shepard as she connected the greybox. Shepard nodded back in silence as he opened the files on the console and allowed Kasumi to access the files though her greybox. Shepard watched in silent as Keiji's last recording played for her. Shepard was startled by the fact that Keiji was the same man that he saw dead in a hallucination on the Citadel, he chose to keep that to himself however and hoped that soon all this will be over so he could focus more on the collectors than his sanity.<p>

He turned his attention to the memories that scrolled pass. Some happy, some sad, some completely privet like the one Kasumi was viewing and then there was the top secret ones. One stood out for Shepard more than to others, its filled him with dread as his head ached and ears rang, 'Project Origin'.

He clutched his head as images scrolled across his mind. A large metal door with the words 'Project Origin'. Then Shepard as a child, he could only guess he was about ten or eleven, and then there was a moustached man in a lab coat looking at him.

"It's too dangerous to keep him, let alone the pointlessness of it." The man said, his ghostly voice reverberated through Shepard's mind. It was then a woman in a lab coat entered his vision.

"I agree Harlam, but he may still have some use, our boss likes his super solders." The woman said in a similar fashion.

"Yes Genevieve, I have a friend, her name is Hanna Shepard, she's always wanted a child, I'm sure she'll be happy to adopt." The man said.

"He'll have to have his memory wiped first." said the woman, her voice was cold and harsh as the young Shepard began to panic.

There was a flash. He saw an operating theatre, the same one as before, and then the moustached man again looking down on him. "NO!" A completely distressed woman screamed. In the background "GIVE HIM BACK!"

It was after another flash Shepard found himself back on the shuttle. "I… I can't do that, this is all what's left." Kasumi said to the virtual Keiji.

"Goodbye Kasumi, I love you." Kaiji's recording said. Kasumi gave the unreal shadow of her love a hug before exiting the greybox.

"What should I do?" She said more to herself than Shepard as sadness crept into her voice. It was then Shepard noted the girl in the red dress, Alma, in the corner.

"_Keep it." _She said before turning to ash, like always the words entered Shepard's mind without traveling through his ears.

"If it means that much to you Kasumi, keep it, but be prepared to live with the consequences."

Back on the Normandy Shepard ordered Joker to head to a planet called Korlus where the Illusive Man wants him to recruit a Krogan Doctor from his Blue Sun friends. Shepard's mind however was on other things as he sat in his cabin, he had entered the words 'Project Origin' into an extranet search engine and didn't come back with meaningful results. _'What was the meaning of my visions?'_ He thought to himself, it was driving him mad.


	6. Interval 6 Subject Zero

Well here's the long awaited sixth chapter. I honestly have no excuse for the lateness other than I've been busy with many other fics and life.

I'll continue writing this story but it is second on my priority list after my other fic Reality Effect, so I'm sorry to say this but please don't anticipate quick uploads. I hope you can understand.

Sorry again and I hope that this chapter is satisfying.

Enjoy and please review.

* * *

><p><strong>Interval 6 – Subject Zero<strong>

"Commander, are you sure this is a good idea?" Miranda asked as she looked cautiously at the tank that held a young Krogan. They had just returned from the planet Korlus where Dr Okeer, a brutal Krogan warlord and scientist who they were sent to recruit, unfortunately perished ant the hands of the Blue Suns however this tank held what he claimed was his legacy, a pure Krogan.

"Relax Miranda, I know what I'm doing," He said as he approached the tanks release button however he paused beforehand. "Um, EDI is this safe?" He whispered.

"I'm afraid that I cannot tell if he is actively aggressive however he still is a Krogan," The AI replied. If Shepard didn't know better he'd say that EDI had been sarcastic.

"Right, of course. Miranda I'd stand back if I was you," Shepard said. He was then suddenly aware of the lack of said person in the room. "Miranda?" He turned to find the room empty however he saw Miranda standing on the walkway outside looking through the windows with an expression that said good luck.

Shepard sighed before pressing the button. There was a hiss of escaping gas as the liquid drained. Shepard stood back as the tank opened and the krogan fell to the floor. It gasped its first breath of air and choked up a slimy fluid before rising to meet Shepard's eyes with an agitated glair.

It roared and charged.

Miranda gasped as she saw the Krogan pummel into Shepard and disappeared around the corner. She ran to the door and to her distress found it to be locked. "EDI! Open this door! NOW!"

"For safety reasons I'm afraid I can't," The monotone voice replied.

"That was an order EDI!"

"I know but crew safety comes first and I can't risk the Krogan becoming loose,"

"But the Commander-" Miranda would have continued to argue if it wasn't for the door swishing open in mid-sentence to reveal Shepard dusting off his uniform with the krogan standing behind, the krogan had a glimmer of respect on his face.

"Ah, Miranda meet Grunt our newest member." Shepard said. Grunt grunted in acknowledgement.

* * *

><p>The Normandy soured silently though the vacuum of space. Dust rippled on its kinetic barriers as it glided over the asteroid belt and down towards the large former ark-ship that has come to be known as Purgatory, the infamous Blue Sun run prison.<p>

"We're here to collect a prisoner," Shepard began in the Normandy's briefing room. All ground crew members were present and holding data pads in their hands. "The prisoner's name is Jack and, well, I doubt you need the dossier to know that Jack is violent. Miranda, as Cerberus is paying for their release your coming with me and Grunt, you're coming to,"

"There better be a good fight," Grunt grunted whilst cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

"If there is then that's why you're coming," Shepard said. "Garrus if anything does go wrong you're in charge of everyone else."

"So what do you want us to do? Go in guns blazing after you?" Garrus asked.

"Only if I call for you, if not just keep them off the ship,"

"_Commander,"_ Joker's voice called over the ships intercom. _"We're coming in to dock,"_

With that the crew dispersed to their stations as Shepard donned his armour and weapons and headed to the air lock where Grunt was waiting. He cradled a shotgun in his hands and held a glimmer of delight in his eyes. "I'm ready Shepard. These mercs won't stand a chance,"

"I doubt they will, just remember that we're not here to shoot them,"

Grunt grunted and grumbled; "Very well then. But the next fight better be good."

They waited for a few more seconds for Miranda to arrive and to Shepard's surprise she wasn't wearing her normal black and white skin tight 'uniform', instead she was wearing an equally skin tight suit of Cerberus armour with a yellow HUD visor.

"Where did you get that?"

"I ordered it from the Cerberus Requisition Department but they lost the paper work and when the courier finally caught up with us on the Citadel he charged me 160 Credits for the shipment." Miranda said as she pushed passed Shepard and Grunt to step out and onto the prison ship.

The trio walked down the bleak grey corridor towards three blue sun guards that awaited them. "Welcome to Purgatory Commander," The first guard greeted, "Your package is being prepared. As this is a high security prison as I must ask you to relinquish your weapons before you can proceed."

"That's not going to happen." Shepard said, his hand hovered over his pistol. Miranda did the same as Grunt clasped his shotgun protectively as if it was his child.

"I'm sorry sir but it is procedure, your weapons will be ret-"

"It's my procedure to keep my gun." Shepard said, his eyebrows frowned in concentration. It was a standoff. One that was reminiscent of those old 'westerns' Shepard had heard off yet never watched.

The doors behind the guards opened. A Blue Sun strode in barking, "Stand down!" The guards reluctantly replied. "Commander Shepard, Welcome to Purgatory." The barefaced Turian greeted, "I'm Warden Kuril and this is my ship. You have to understand that we take security seriously here and you must relinquish your weapons."

"I'm sorry but I can't do that." Shepard replied, Grunt grunted in approval.

Warden Kuril's brow plates frowned. "Well, we're more than capable of handling three armed guests. Welcome aboard Shepard, please, follow me."

They passed through the ships raised corridors over the maximum security blocks. Kuril prided himself on the efficiency and deterrents of the prison and was more than happy to show examples of his work, also to defend himself when Shepard questioned his motives and means of extorting the criminals' worlds.

Eventually Kuril pointed them in the direction of out-processing whilst he left to check to see whether Cerberus' funds had come through. Shepard entered the room, a technician pointed them to the far side but he wasn't what caught Shepard's attention. It was the man standing by the door on the far side that did. It was Fettle; he gave a sadistic grind before turning to ash. By now Shepard was beginning to get used to people appearing and disappearing yet seeing Fettle unease him more than Alma. Alma always seemed to be watching over him, Fettle however, he seemed to want only chaos.

Nerveless Shepard continued to the far side, he had a job to do and no ghosts would stop him from his mission. He opened a door at the far end only to find himself staring into an empty cell.

"I'm sorry Shepard," Kuril's voice called over the intercom as guards entered the room, "but you're worth more to me as a prisoner then as a customer. If you would be so kind to drop your weapons and enter the cell and no one has to be harmed."

"It's a tempting offer but I'd say you men's life expectancy has dropped dramatically."

"Kill the Krogan and Female! Take Shepard alive!" Kuril's voice ordered.

The Blue Suns and mechs surged forwards opening fire. Shepard, Grunt and Miranda dived behind the cover of a bench as bullets whizzed and cracked overhead and around them. There was too many. "Garrus!" Shepard called into his radio, there was a sudden burst of static.

Everything slowed for Shepard as he bravely peeked through a gap in the bench. A Blue Sun was bathed in a red glow that emulated form his body as he twitched and convulsed before letting out a blast of red energy that shatter the guards around leaving only red and blue spears along with piles of bone, shell and scrap metal.

Grunt grunted in approval. "I like that on, can we get him too?"

Shepard ignored him as he slung his weapon over the edge and began to fire at the remaining mercs, Grunt and Miranda soon followed. The Blue Suns fell into chaos. They were falling right to left and in their panic some even turned their guns on each over. In that end only the red Blue Sun remained. He turned to Shepard and the faceless helmet met his eyes. Shepard not hesitating knew this 'man' was dangerous and raised his rifle and fired.

The round smashed into the Blue Suns helmet. Blood exploded form the back. The lifeless merc fell back however a man remained in the mercs place. Paxton Fettle, with a satisfied grin on his face. He stayed for a second before turning to ash.

"Can humans do that?" Grunt asked.

"No, we're not supposed to… Let's find Jack and get out of here." Shepard said, as he walked and carefully stepped over the crimson and blue rivers. Grunt strolled through and Miranda gulped as she followed close behind.

The emerged back into the walkways above the prison floor where more mercs moved forwards to attack only with a lot less enthusiasm then before. Shepard and Miranda took cover behind the metal struts on ever side. Shepard leaned out of cover, switched to incendiary ammo and raised his Mattock rifle as time slowed. The Warp that Miranda had thrown glided gently over the floor as Shepard unloaded round after round into the mercs' heads.

When time turned back only one merc remained and he obviously was having regrets over his choice of career. There was a cry of excited anger from Grunt as he shot passed Shepard and raised his shotgun at the cowering merc. Grunt pulled the trigger. Shepard didn't see much of what happed only the large blood stain that splatted over the windows and floor.

"Ha! This is fun Shepard," Grunt called, "It's like, what's that human phrase… Shooting amphibians in a box!"

"It's fish in a barrel Grunt," Miranda corrected as Shepard led them down the walkway.

"Why would anyone want to shoot fish in a barrel? That's just un-sportsman like."

"Jack should be though here." Shepard said as he stood in front of the last door on the walkway, Miranda and Grunt stood to his side as he pressed the open button. The other side was a large room with the far wall consisting of windows looking down into an area. In front of them was a console with a panicking technician calling for help as he snakingly raised a pistol towards Shepard.

Shepard didn't feel sorry for him as a shot from his Mattock made the glass behind become peppered with the technician's blood.

"According to this Jack's down there," Miranda said as she examined the console. Shepard looked though the blood smeared glass at the large room below. It was empty apart from three deactivated YMIR mechs and a large robotic arm over a circler object in the floor. "We can release jack from here but doing so will release every other prisoner on the ship."

"Well I hope that whoever thought of that is in one of these cells." Shepard muttered, "Open the cells, we don't have much choice."

Miranda nodded as she pressed the button. There was a hiss of escaping gas the robotic arm grabbed and raised the cryo cell. Condensing gasses flowed around as the three got their first look at the convict.

Grunt was the first to speak, "Jack's small… and a female!"

Shepard however had noticed something else. His radio filled with static again as Jack's eyes opened. She looked around at the now activated mechs. The glow of biotics flowed around her; however this glow wasn't like any biotics the grope had ever seen. There were wisps of red and yellow amongst the blue as she shot forwards with enough force that the prison ship rocked almost knocking Shepard and the others to the floor. There were three explosions from the mechs and a tearing crash as a hole was ripped in the wall beneath them.

"_Shepard what is going on?" _Garrus called over the radio as Shepard regained his stance and began to walk a side door that lead down into the chamber.

"Jack is out and so is every over prisoner on this ship. Hold the Normandy; let no one on except for us." Shepard said.

"_Roger that Shepard."_

The chamber was a mess but it was nothing compared to the devastation jack had caused in the ships walls and service corridors.

"_Sectors seven, nine and eleven have lost life support, no survivors," _The ship's VI said as the trio emerged into a cellblock littered with the corpses of Blue Suns and prisoners alike. The block was in flames and falling apart. Gunfire was calling from nearby.

"Ha! I like this girl!" Grunt exclaimed as they raced across the cellblock only to take cover as guards and prisoners alike opened fire indiscriminately.

"How do we find her?" Miranda asked as they exchanged fire with the Guards.

"Easy, we just follow the senseless carnage and destruction." Shepard smiled as he leaped over cover, time slowed again for him as he picked off anyone who moved.

* * *

><p>"You're valuable Shepard! I could have sold you and lived like a king!" Kuril said as he fired wildly with his Revenant machinegun sending Shepard and the squad sprinting for cover. "But you're not worth the trouble, I can still capture jack!"<p>

"Not gonna happen Kuril!" Shepard yelled back.

"I do the hard things civil governments are unwilling to do! This is for the good of the Galaxy!" Kuril called again as he sprayed Shepard's cover with mass accelerated rounds. By now Shepard was understandably fed-up with the barefaced turian. Kuril had surrounded himself with a near impenetrable kinetic barrier. The only weakness was the fact that the three generators keeping the barrier up were on Shepard's side. Shepard briefly wondered why Kuril had done that and why he just didn't use the kinetic barriers to trap him, Miranda and Grunt instead.

Shepard simply shrugged the thoughts off as he took out the first generator whilst Miranda and Grunt held the mercs back. Miranda sent a warp at the second ripping the generator to shreds in seconds. The third however was more difficult. Shepard pulled out his Mantis sniper rifle and took aim as time slowed again. He locked onto the generator and pulled the trigger once, twice and then a third time. The generator blew to pieces as the barrier around Kuril collapsed.

"It's over Kuril!" Shepard called as he pulled out his grenade launcher and turned to Miranda and Grunt, "Cover me."

The two only complied as Shepard rolled out of cover, time slowed once again as he lined up the shot and fired three grenades. Kuril's bare mandibles twitched before he disappeared into a ball of flames.

* * *

><p>Shepard stepped back onto the gangplank to the Normandy. There the almost naked and heavily tattooed Jack paced around and seemed to be screaming in anger at the Normandy. A batarian Blue Sun rose behind Jack and lifted his assault rifle to her. Shepard raised his pistol to fire at the merc, he pulled the trigger, there was a click.<p>

Shepard cursed as he hurried to place a new thermal clip in his pistol. Jack however glowed blue in biotics as she shot round to the last merc. She screamed in rage as she let loose a blue, red and yellow blast into the merc. Shepard filched as the merc was ripped to shreds and splattered the wall with deep crimson blood leaving only a pile of broken bone and armour.

Jack turned to Shepard, she scrolled as she began to pace from one side of the gangplank to the other. "Who the hell are you!"

"My name's Commander Shepard, I'm here to get you out of here."

"You're Cerberus. I not gonna go anywhere with you!"

"I'm not your enemy Jack. I don't work for Cerberus and I came here to get you out."

"You show up in a Cerberus ship, she's has Cerberus logos over her chest and you expect me to believe that!" Jack spat.

"Jack, this ship is going down, I need your help and I'm offering you a way out." Shepard calmly said.

Jack thought for a moment. "Fine! But if you want me you've gotta make it worthwhile."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I bet that ship is full of Cerberus secrets. I want access to them, to see what Cerberus has got on me."

"I'm sure that can be arraigned, you can have full accesses." Shepard said.

"Shepard! You are not authorised to do that!" Miranda intervened.

"Ooh have I upset you cheerleader? Even better." Jack smirked. "You better be straight with me Sheppard."

"You have my word."

"Then what the hell are we doing standing here? Let's go."

* * *

><p>Shepard shot up from his bead panting and covered in sweet. He slammed on the lights and rested his head in his hands with a frustrated sigh. He's been having nightmares almost every night since his… resurrection? He still didn't know what to call that time. His nightmares however never made any sense; this one though was different from the others.<p>

"Are you alight Shep?"

Shepard's head shot round to the voices owner. Kasumi stood somewhat awkwardly nearby with a worried look on her hooded face.

"Kasumi what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to-"

"Sneak into my cabin whilst I was asleep?"

"I was only having a look around. I wasn't going to disturbed you or anything. But then you started rolling about and mumbling before waking up." Kasumi said as she sat on his couch in her usual legs to chest pose.

"It was nothing…" Shepard sighed.

"Shep, you helped me get Keiji's greybox back, something's wrong so let me return the favour." She smiled.

Shepard sighed, "I've been having these nightmares. It's nothing that you can help with, but thanks for the offer."

"I know that you've been seeing things, strange creepy things,"

"How?" Shepard asked.

"Zaeed and Grunt haven't shut up about their encounters with them; I also overheard Miranda and Mordin talking about them. At first I didn't believe it but I know when people are lying. Does this have something to do with them?"

"It was a weird dream," Shepard said, "I don't know if it has anything to do with those two… ghosts or not. I was on this barren planet only all around was thousands maybe even millions of dead, rotting corpses of Krogan children."

"Why would you dream of that?" Kasumi gasped.

"I wish I knew. Anyway that wasn't all. I was chased around the mountains of dead Krogan by a thresher maw, it almost got me when I slipped from the top of a mound and fell down the corps pile. When I landed at the bottom I looked up to see Mordin standing there, he seemed… distant. Next thing I knew I was being sucked into the pile of corpses then I woke up."

"You my friend have some seriously messed up dreams." Kasumi said.

"Thanks." Shepard said with a short small chuckle.

"Well I don't know how to help but if that's all I guess I'll be going." Kasumi said as she stood and walked towards the door.

"Yeah… and please don't come in here again without me knowing."

"No prob' Shep." Kasumi smiled.

"Oh and Kasumi,"

"Yes shep?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Kasumi said as she vanished.

Shepard sighed as he lied down and switched of the lights. He rested for a few seconds before saying in a warning tone, "Kasumi…"

"I'm going, I'm going." A disembodied voice said as his cabin doors opened and soon closed again before locking themselves.


End file.
